Male Fertility
Acupuncture can be used at any stage to support men who are trying to conceive. It may improve sperm quality—specifically motility, count, and morphology—and address structural issues like varicoceles or erectile dysfunction. Studies suggest that 5–10 sessions over several weeks can enhance local blood flow to the testes, reduce stress, and regulate hormones.
Research studies have demonstrated the benefits of acupuncture in treating male fertility by improving sperm quality. In one study of 40 men with poor sperm count, 28 received acupuncture twice a week for 5 weeks, while 12 in the control group received no treatment. In the treatment group there was a statistically significant increase in the percentage and number of sperm, plus improved sperm motility.
In another study, 22 males with idiopathic infertility who had just failed an ICSI cycle were treated with acupuncture twice weekly for 8 weeks, followed by ICSI treatment again. This time, sperm motility was significantly improved after treatment. The normal sperm ratio was also better and embryo quality as well as fertilisation rates (66.2%) were higher than before treatment (40.2%).Acupuncture is particularly useful to improve the sperm motility prior to ovulation, however because it takes 60-90 days to develop mature sperm, treatment is ideally given over a 3 to 6 month period for the best results when you are trying naturally, or before you begin an IUI, ivf or ICSI cycle.
In assisted cycles, it can be very benefical to also have acupuncture on the day, or the day before sperm collection.