About

By focusing on designated meridians, acupuncture not only alleviates physical discomfort but also plays a significant role in hormonal regulation. Ensure your acupuncturist is registered with the British Acupuncture Council, possesses relevant qualifications, and specialises in hormonal health for optimal results. This collaborative approach ensures that you receive the most effective care possible, allowing you to successfully navigate your journey toward achieving optimal hormonal health.
In fact, it is not difficult to see that there are many defects in current studies on acupuncture treatment of infertility or improvement of male fertility, such as non-randomized controlled trials, and small sample size, which result in insufficient convincing conclusions of such clinical trials. Other studies have reached similar conclusions, but the reports lack indicators such as sperm motility related to male infertility. It is a growing recognition that scrotal hyperthermia, a faulty venous valve causing the reflux of toxic metabolites, elevated hydrostatic pressure in testis, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and Leydig cell dysfunction are the proposed mechanisms for varicocele-induced male infertility (80). Kucuk et al. (77) conducted a study to compare the effect of the acupuncture with subinguinal microscopic varicocelectomy on sperm parameters and pregnancy rates in patients with primary infertility.
As men age, testosterone levels naturally decline, which can lead to a variety of symptoms including decreased energy, mood swings, and reduced sexual function. Most men notice improved energy within 2-3 weeks, with optimal testosterone levels achieved within weeks. Since 2004, Advanced Holistic Center has specialized in men’s hormonal health, successfully treating over 5,000 patients with testosterone concerns. Men maintained healthy levels through periodic maintenance treatments rather than daily medications.
Tracking progress is an essential component of any health regimen, particularly in relation to hormonal health. For individuals in the UK, exploring combinations of therapies can lead to a more comprehensive health approach. This thoughtful consideration can help streamline your healthcare routine, making it easier to prioritise your hormonal health and overall well-being. Seeking out acupuncturists who promote their specialisation in hormonal issues can lead to improved treatment outcomes and may result in more personalised approaches that effectively cater to your needs. Not all acupuncturists specialise in hormonal health, making it vital to find a practitioner with expertise in this specific area.
As individuals progress through life, testosterone production often declines, resulting in a spectrum of health challenges such as diminished libido, fatigue, and reduced muscle strength. While men generally produce higher testosterone levels than women, maintaining balanced levels is equally crucial for women's health. For individuals in the UK considering a natural strategy to elevate their testosterone levels, acupuncture emerges as a compelling and effective choice worth exploring. Regular check-ins with your acupuncturist can help assess the effectiveness of treatments and make necessary adjustments to optimise testosterone levels. Certain herbs, such as ashwagandha and fenugreek, are recognised for their ability to support hormonal balance and can serve as effective adjuncts to acupuncture treatments.
The location, regional anatomy, and innervation of acupoints for male infertility mentioned above are described in Table 2 and Figure 2. Twenty enrolled patients were randomized into the treatment group (acupuncture for ED) and placebo group (acupuncture against headache). After treatment, the scrotal skin temperature and sperm concentration were improved, which suggested that acupuncture can be recommended for these men.
In addition, the adverse effects of acupuncture were substantially lower than those of drugs or other conventional medical procedures under identical conditions (38). Up to now, there are 103 countries around the world that approved the use of acupuncture, of which 29 have formulated corresponding laws or regulations, and even several countries have covered this treatment in their medical insurance system (36). Transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) is another extension of acupuncture, in which electrodes are placed on acupoints to stimulate them through electric current to exert analgesia or other therapeutic effects (35). In the nineteenth century, Louis Berlioz, a French doctor, first proposed the idea of electroacupuncture (EA), which is a modern treatment derived from traditional acupuncture, and by doing so, he has added electrical stimulation to the acupuncture science and increased the stimulation methods (32). Testosterone levels and sperm concentration decrease with age, although some aging men can still be fertile by attempting multiple intercourse (25). Meanwhile, it was also reported that CAM could increase the pregnancy rate and decrease stress and anxiety levels (17). During fertility treatment, CAM could increase hope by incorporating cultural traditions of health and fertility (16).
Low testosterone levels can lead to a decreased sex drive, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, and depression—all of which can directly or indirectly affect fertility. Briefly, adverse events do occur during the acupuncture treatment, but to a large extent, they are mostly minor compared with non-acupuncture-related interventions. Therefore, this standardization might weaken the effect of acupuncture in individual patients (48). However, to facilitate understanding and interpretation, the treatment protocol of the clinical acupuncture trials should be a fixed one, which followed the revised Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement (117). In addition, a meta-analysis conducted by Wen Jia et al. (116) suggested that compared with medications or sham acupuncture, acupuncture alone has no clear superiority in improving sperm quality. Some studies have reported that sham acupuncture, placebo acupuncture, etc. used in the control group in acupuncture clinical trials can also produce therapeutic effects (113, 114). For PE, it has been documented that acupuncture can treat PE through changes in central and peripheral neurotransmitters and neurohormones secretion and alter in blood flow regulation (110).
Acupressure points to increase testosterone offer a unique and natural approach to enhancing male hormonal health. Both electroacupuncture (EA) and mild moxibustion (MM) can raise serum testosterone levels in PADAM. In this episode of The Balancing Point, I continue the conversation on testosterone by sharing the herbs and supplements I trust—and personally used—to support healthy testosterone levels without pharmaceutical risks.

Female