Tag: MaleFertility

Tag to group blog posts about male fertility

Exploring the Benefits of Acupuncture for Men: A Holistic Approach to Health

Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese healing technique, has gained popularity worldwide for its holistic approach to health and wellness. While often associated with women’s health concerns, exploring the benefits of Acupuncture for Men, acupuncture offers numerous benefits specifically tailored to men’s unique needs and concerns. In this blog post, we will delve into the various ways acupuncture can benefit men and explore the different reasons it may help in promoting their overall well-being.

Stress Reduction and Mental Health Support

Modern life can be demanding and stressful, and men are not immune to the pressures and challenges it presents. Acupuncture provides an effective means of reducing stress levels and promoting mental well-being.

The practice stimulates the release of endorphins, known as the body’s natural “feel-good” hormones, which can alleviate anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. By targeting specific points on the body, acupuncture helps to rebalance the energy flow and promotes relaxation, leading to improved mental clarity and emotional stability.

Pain Relief and Injury Recovery

Men are often engaged in physically demanding activities, sports, and strenuous workouts, which can lead to musculoskeletal injuries, chronic pain, or discomfort. Acupuncture is known to provide effective pain relief and aid in injury recovery. 

By targeting specific acupuncture points, the technique stimulates blood circulation, relaxes muscles, and promotes the release of natural pain-relieving substances in the body. It can be particularly beneficial for conditions such as back pain, joint pain, sports injuries, and migraines, allowing men to return to their active lifestyles more quickly and with reduced discomfort.

Improved Sexual Health

Sexual health and vitality are important aspects of men’s well-being. Acupuncture offers potential benefits for men dealing with sexual dysfunctions, such as erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE). 

By targeting specific acupuncture points, the practice improves blood circulation, promotes hormonal balance, and reduces stress and anxiety related to sexual performance. Acupuncture may complement other treatment options and enhance overall sexual health and satisfaction, leading to improved confidence and quality of life.

Hormonal Balance and Fertility Support

Hormonal imbalances can affect men’s overall health and well-being, leading to issues such as low libido, fatigue, weight gain, and mood swings. Acupuncture can help restore hormonal balance by stimulating the body’s natural regulatory systems. 

The practice encourages the production and release of hormones, including testosterone, which is essential for men’s sexual health, muscle strength, and overall vitality. Acupuncture can also support fertility by improving sperm quality, count, and motility, and addressing underlying factors that may contribute to infertility.

Prostate Health

As men age, maintaining prostate health becomes a significant concern. Acupuncture can help support prostate health and address common conditions such as prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). 

By targeting specific acupuncture points, the technique improves blood circulation, reduces inflammation, and promotes overall prostate health.

In addition to the physical benefits, it is important to highlight the role acupuncture plays in breaking the stigma surrounding men seeking help for their health concerns. Traditionally, men have been conditioned to be stoic and self-reliant, often hesitant to reach out for support. 

By openly discussing the benefits of acupuncture, we contribute to normalising men’s health-seeking behaviour. It is crucial to foster an environment where men feel comfortable seeking assistance, addressing their health concerns, and taking proactive steps towards better physical and mental well-being.

Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. By embracing acupuncture and other holistic therapies, men can actively participate in their own health journey, leading to improved overall quality of life and inspiring others to break free from the stigmas surrounding men’s health issues.

With extensive knowledge and expertise in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gaynor Grozier offers specialised acupuncture treatments tailored to men’s health needs. Book your free discovery call today to get started.

What is sperm motility?

Sperm motility is the movement of sperm and its ability to move efficiently through the female reproductive tract to reach the egg. Sperm motility is a factor in successful conception; if sperm do not move well, they will not reach the egg to fertilize it.

Poor sperm motility means that the sperm do not swim properly which can lead to male infertility. Usually, it is found that when sperm motility is poor, there are other contributing problems found with sperm health such as sperm morphology or low sperm count.

It has been found that Acupuncture can have a positive impact in improving sperm motility. Clinical trials carried out by the British Acupuncture Council suggests that Acupuncture improves sperm quality and has a beneficial effect in male fertility.

What is sperm morphology?

As you embark on your journey to becoming a parent you may come across terminology that is left unexplained. Here we explore the term ‘Sperm Morphology’ and if you’re wondering what it is and how it affects fertility in the male reproductive system, read on!

Sperm morphology put simply is the size and shape of sperm and is one factor that is examined as part of a semen sample to evaluate male infertility. When viewed under a microscope the results are reported as a percentage of the sperm that appear normal and healthy; in healthy sperm the head appears oval, in abnormal sperm it can appear as a round shape.

There are many contributing factors that can impair male fertility, and most are fixable; it has been proven that with Acupuncture therapy sperm morphology can be improved. At Gaynor Grozier Acupuncture we will work with you to understand your results and look at how we can help improve your male fertility with supporting nutrition and wellbeing advice alongside your Acupuncture treatment.

Research studies that have been conducted by the British Acupuncture Council show that the benefits of Acupuncture in Male Fertility include increased hormone levels and testicular blood flow in turn promoting increased production of healthy sperm.

Can Acupuncture and lifestyle choices improve my sperm count

If your sperm count results have come back less than ‘perfect’ then you are not alone. Male fertility is one of the most common reasons that people explore the route of assisted techniques (LINK) such as IVF with research showing that 40% of infertility cases are due to poor sperm quality. The great news is that research also indicates there are several things you can change to improve sperm morphology, motility, and overall health. Even if your results came back in the satisfactory range, you could still improve your sperm-health even further, giving you the best chance of natural conception (LINK).

Since the 1980’s, there has been a 30% decrease in sperm count in the general male population and about one in twenty men has a fertility issue, even if they live an apparently healthy lifestyle. This could be due to the plethora of environmental pollutants we are all exposed to that are known or suspected to impact sperm health.

Like women, men’s fertility also declines with age. Many men present with borderline sperm count that have previously been deemed ‘acceptable’. There are several considerations we would look at when assessing the values attributed to sperm health. 

How is sperm evaluated for quality?

Sperm is evaluated according to four main parameters:

  • Volume (i.e. how much semen per ejaculation)
  • Density/concentration/count (i.e. how many million/ml)
  • Morphology (i.e. % of normal v. abnormal in shape)
  • Motility (i.e. % of moving/swimming sperm)

If any of these parameters are abnormal, fertility may be compromised.

Can Acupuncture improve sperm quality?

As documented by the British Acupuncture Council, Acupuncture has been found to improve the motility of sperm by improving its zinc:cadmium ratio. Zinc improves sperm motility whereas cadmium causes thicker semen, thereby slowing down the sperm. SOD, an antioxidant which increases both sperm count, and motility is also positively influenced by acupuncture.  Acupuncture therapy around the female’s ovulation may increase the chance of natural conception (LINK).

Where do the needles go?

Acupuncture points for improving sperm quality can be placed on points in the lower back, lower leg, or abdomen. The points chosen for placements of the needles are generally pain free and are used to increase strength and vitality, improve blood flow, digestion, promote good-quality sleep and relieve stress and anxiety. Other health problems are concurrently attended during acupuncture treatment since we consider your whole health and wellbeing as a contributing factor to male fertility. 

At Gaynor Grozier Acupuncture we tailor our treatment packages to suit each individuals needs. 

What else can help?

Diet and nutrition, lifestyle, weight, exercise, environmental pollutants, and smoking can also play a huge role in the health of your sperm and the male reproductive system. We believe the most powerful approach is to make changes in these areas together with acupuncture therapy to really align and improve your fertility. This is where we see the best results. In fact, acupuncture has also demonstrated it can help with lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking and treatment can be tailored to address this alongside your male fertility journey.

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4 The Avenue
Basford, (Stoke-On-Trent) Newcastle under Lyme
ST5 0LY 

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The Chase Golf & Country Club
Pottal Pool Road
Penkridge, Stafford
ST19 5RN