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 stimulate activity in order to achieve pregnancy (Eamons & Patton, 2000).

The focus of this report is on clinical research studies and empirical research projects examining the efficacy of various acupuncture techniques and protocols with respect to improving fertility rates. A total of 12 sources drawn from both Western and Oriental journals were employed in the present study aft

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l motile spermatozoa per ejaculate, and integrity of the axonema. The researchers concluded that patients exhibiting a low fertility potential due to reduced sperm activity may benefit from acupuncture treatment. A related study by Siterman, Eltes, Wolfson, Lederman, and Bartoov (2000) examined the effects of acupuncture on males with very poor sperm density. An experimental and control group were used in the study which revealed a marked but not significant improvement in the sperm counts of severely oligoteratoasthenozoospermic males following acupuncture treatment and a definite increase in sperm count in the ejaculate of azoospermic patients. The researchers concluded that acupuncture may be a useful, non-traumatic treatment for males with very poor sperm density, especially those with a history of genital tract inflammation. Zhang, Huang, Lu, Paulus, and Sterzik (2002) investigated the clinical effects of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in sperm parameter and on therapeutic results in assisted reproductive technology (ART). A total of 22 patients failed in intracytoplasmic sperm injection were treated with acupuncture twice weekly for eight weeks. Quick sperm mobility after acupuncture was significantly im
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Paulus Sterzik, Xiao-Feng Lin, Andersson Wikland, Chinese Medicine, Purpose/Rationale According, Morbidity Costs, Lederman Bartoov, Gerhard Postneek, Zabludovsky Bartoov, Summary Luo, acupuncture treatment, chinese medicine, sperm density, luo 2002, women treated, xuefen 1997, sterzik 2002, traditional chinese, siterman eltes wolfson, males females, control study, acupuncture acupoint application, traditional chinese medicine, paulus sterzik 2002, males low sperm,
Approximate Word count = 2230
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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