Although the majority of patients we see in our clinic for fertility related treatment are female about half of all cause of infertility is male. Often we see couples already undergoing medically assisted fertility treatments like IVF and IUI in which case we usually treat the female partner undergoing treatment to assist implantation and hence pregnancy rates. Much can be done however to help male fertility issues with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture treatment whilst trying to conceive naturally or, in the lead up to an IVF cycle can be very beneficial to sperm count and motility as well as improving morphology – or the percentage of normal sperm.

The last hundred years has seen a dramatic decrease in the sperm quantity and quality of the average man. In fact it has been reported that quantity of semen and healthy sperm has decreased by almost 50% in the average man. The reasons for this are thought to be environmental – exposure to a range of chemicals in the environment that have dramatically increased with industrialisation. Some of this damage is thought to occur as when the male baby is in the womb! It seems no wonder that the amount of infertile men is increasing.

Acupuncture has been looked at through research as one of the ways to increase sperm quality and quantity in affected men. Diet and lifestyle also have a huge impact on sperm and improvement in these areas is also essential for those trying to conceive. The timing and regularity of treatment is determined by the western medicine and Chinese Medicine diagnosis and in some case applied weekly or fortnightly or perhaps just around the time of ovulation. Chinese herbs can also be prescribed to increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Whenever you have an Acupuncture treatment the practitioner aims to balance the Qi (or energy) of the body as a whole system and in individual organ systems that may be out of balance. We always consider the fundamental concept of Yin and Yang to Chinese Medicine theory – the idea of polar opposites that cannot exist independently and need to be in balance for function to be optimal. The theory of Yin (female) and Yang (male) never seem more obvious than when talking about making babies, and the actual conception itself. The sperm (yang) make their way to the egg (yin) assisted in their motility (yang) by cervical mucus produced at ovulation (yin). The meeting and combination of these to forces and the intricate dance that occurs between them produces the most spectacular result – life.

Migraines are not like normal headaches. They can be debilitating in their ferocity and usually the person suffering the migraine will be unable to carry on normally resulting in time away from work and family. Migraines can strike at random or follow patterns and often are associated with triggers that range from food to stress and energy levels.  The regularity of the Migraines can also vary dramatically with some people experiencing one or two a year and others more unfortunately one or two per week. Aside from extreme localised pain in the head some sufferers report referred pain in the neck and thoracic region, extreme nausea and vomiting, vertigo and photophobia (aversion to light). Other visual disturbances are also often reported – especially at the onset of a Migraine.

Research conducted over the last decade has favoured Acupuncture treatment as an effective treatment for Migraine with significant reduction in severity and frequency of Migraines. It has even been more successful in treatment than pharmaceutical drugs in several trials.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks at the body holistically despite the presenting problem. This unique diagnostic system may go some way to explaining Acupunctures success in the treatment of Migraines.  If I have ten patients present with Migraine they will all receive a different treatment. This is because TCM considers that the underlying imbalance in the body that causes Migraines is unique to each individual. Each Acupuncture treatment is tailored specifically to address this imbalance. The severity of this imbalance (that will be apparent on examination of all presenting signs and symptoms) will dictate the length of treatment required. Generally the longer sanding the issue the longer it takes to treat. There are the occasional patients who only require a treatment or two but most people would expect a course of weekly treatments over two months followed by regular maintenance (probably once every month or two) until the Migraines were under control.

For people who suffer regularly with Migraines this treatment plan might offer an oasis and in many cases a permanent solution.