Electroacupuncture Effectiveness for Treating Idiopathic Male Infertility

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Alternative Therapies

Background:

• Male infertility affects approximately 50% of infertility cases.
• Idiopathic factors can impair sperm production (spermatogenesis).
• Acupuncture is a recognized complementary therapy for infertility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) in improving male fertility.
• To assess changes in sperm parameters and pregnancy success following EA treatment.

Main Methods:

• A male infertility patient received EA twice weekly for up to 12 sessions.
• Sperm parameters including total motile sperm count (TMSC), morphology, motility, and DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) were evaluated before and after EA.
• Timed intercourse was planned during the fertile window.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in TMSC, sperm morphology, and motility post-EA.
• The sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) decreased after EA treatment.
• The couple achieved pregnancy, confirmed by ultrasound and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) test.

Conclusions:

• EA therapy shows potential for improving spermiogram results and DFI in idiopathic male infertility.
• This case highlights EA as a viable option for enhancing fertility and achieving pregnancy.
• Further research is necessary to validate these findings across diverse patient populations.