he clinical trials described in my report represent this type of purpose. Often, however, medical research and clinical trials do not state that they have a noble purpose; rather, this is implicit in the fact that efforts are being made to determine whether or not a specific set of interventions will benefit patients.
What emerges from my study is a new realization that Westerners are too ready to dismiss non-Western medical treatment such as acupuncture as irrelevant and unfeasible. Acupuncture, along with herbal remedies and other interventions, has the potential to assist suffering individuals in achieving a better quality of life. Given that the problems of infertility can lead to both physical and psychological distress, Western physicians should embrace the alternative treatments described in my report to better serve their patients.
Overview of Publications on Acupuncture for Human Infertility
According to studies reported over the past two decades, about 30 to 40 percent of infertility cases are believed to be caused by male factors and about 40 to 50 percent are attributed to female factors. In about a quarter of all cases, more than one of these factors may be involved, with the rest of infertility cases unexplained (Luo, 2002). In Western medicine, female factors of infertility include ovulation problems, tubal or uterine problems, pelvic adhesion, fibroma, endometriosis, endometritis, endometrial tuberculosis, and immunological factors. Male factors include defective sperm production and insemination difficulties (Luo, 2002).
In Chinese and other traditional Oriental medicine, the main etiology and pathology of human infertility is understood as deficiency of the kidney, stagnation of the liver-QI, phlegm-dampness in the channels, and blood stasis (Luo, 2002). Consequently, traditional Chinese medicine often employs acupuncture or the use of needling at key body sites to overcome deficits or to stim...