Male infertility involves the failure to fertilize the female egg with sperm. Three things must take place for successful fertilization. Sperm must be produced in the testes. The sperm must travel through the spermatic ducts. The sperm must find an egg. The western medicine approach to treatment of male infertility will naturally focus on those three factors to determine the disorder and the treatment indicated.

The four factors commonly used to assess infertility cases are low sperm counts, the total volume of ejaculate, the mobility of the sperm, and the morphology of the sperm. The World Health Organization (WHO) assesses male fertility via a sperm analysis, which measures the volume, count, motility and morphology of the sperm sample. The average male sperm count has dropped 45% over the last few generations. The most common cause of male infertility is a varicocele. A varicocele is made up of enlarged veins in the scrotum on 1 or both sides. The veins make the inside of the scrotum warmer and can reduce sperm production by the testicle on the same side. Other causes of male infertility include:

• A blockage in a man’s reproductive system
• Certain medicines
• Low sperm count
• Sperm that are abnormally shaped or that don't move correctly
• Undescended testicle
• Infections
• An underlying medical problem

Other factors that may affect fertility include tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and abuse of other illegal drugs, emotional stress, obesity and age (fertility gradually decreases in men who are older than 35).

As is typical when comparing treatment approaches of western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), western medicine will attempt to treat and correct the symptoms, and TCM will treat the cause. Traditional Chinese Medicine sees infertility as a result of a completely different set of circumstances. Such thing as low sperm counts and abnormal shaped sperm are symptoms of these circumstances.

The acupuncturist will see male fertility as having one of five causes. It could be a result of Kidney Yang deficiency, Kidney Yin deficiency, Liver Qi stagnation, Damp/Heat in the low Jiao, or a Qi and Blood deficiency. Each of these possible causative factors will have there own set of symptoms to guide the practitioner in the selection of the proper acupuncture points and Chinese herbal formula to use in the treatment. Regardless of the TCM diagnosis, traditional Chinese medicine is a good option for the treatment of male infertility. With the exception of corrective surgery for blocked spermatic ducts, western medicine appears to have little ability to improve the production, condition, or shape of male sperm. Just as acupuncture can increase ovarian function in women, it can do the same for sperm production in men. By increasing blood flow, acupuncture can help with problems such as low sperm count, misshapen sperm and poor motility (sperm movement). One of the biggest factors affecting male infertility is stress, and acupuncture can balance hormones in the pituitary gland affecting stress, which can balance the reproductive cycle. A combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is highly effective in treating male infertility. Here is a brief list of male health problems that traditional Chinese medicine can help: