Acupuncture Therapy for Severe Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia

Background: Infertility affects ∼15%-20% of couples. Of the 16.7% infertility rate reported based on Word Health Organisation questionnaire data, 6.4% of cases are associated with male factors. Male infertility can result from abnormal semen parameters; oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) is the most common diagnosis. Acupuncture is an ancient method that has been used for centuries to treat and prevent various conditions. In modern medicine, it is gaining popularity as a complementary infertility therapy. Case: A 41-year-old male presented to the Medical Acupuncture Department of Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (in Jakarta, Indonesia) because he wanted to have a child. His semen was analyzed, and he was diagnosed with severe OAT. Manual acupuncture therapy was performed at CV 3, CV 4, CV 5, CV 6, CV 7, ST 29, SP 6, SP 3, ST 36, and KI 3, alternating with KI 7 5 days per week and at LR 8 once per week, for a total of 28 sessions. Results: Semen analysis after 2 series of manual acupuncture treatments revealed improvement, especially in sperm motility, from 25% to 33% and then to 67% after the first and second serial therapies, respectively, changing the diagnosis from severe OAT to severe oligoteratozoospermia. Conclusions: Manual acupuncture combined with medication improves male fertility, especially sperm motility.