There is no doubt whatsoever that fertility is declining in the West. According to scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, sperm counts among men have more than halved over the last 40 years and are still declining at a rate of 1.4% per year. The problem is that nobody knows why. It could be that planet Earth is wiser than we know. Over recent years populations have been expanding at an ever-increasing rate.

The UK population in 1900, for example, was 38 million. In the 1950's it was 50 million. Today it is 65 million, and at the present rate of progress is expected to be 75 million by 2050. That represents a 50% increase over a period of just 100 years. Maybe our planet has decided that the world population needs to be reduced in order for it to be sustainable.

Whatever the reasons, there is no doubt about the anguish felt by many couples unable to conceive. Medicine in recent years has expanded the options for those struggling, and we now have IVF, fertility drugs, donor eggs and embryos, and intrauterine insemination (IUI), among other things.

However, these treatments can be horrifically expensive and beyond the budget of the man and woman in the street. IUI, for instance, can run into tens of thousands of pounds. Thus, it is not surprising that people are seeking other alternatives, and some have turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine, and fertility acupuncture in London together with Chinese herbs in particular.

There is no doubt that acupuncture increases fertility rates. Just recently, a study carried out by Tel Aviv University reported that when used in conjunction with Western treatment IUI, Traditional Chinese Medicine increased conception rates by nearly 40%. Of a control group who received IUI but no acupuncture or Chinese herbal therapy, just 39.4% were able to conceive. This compared with the test group who achieved a 65.5% success rate.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a history going back at least 3,000 years, and the beginnings of acupuncture are believed to go back to the Stone Age when sharp edged tools were used to puncture the skin to drain abscesses. However, acupuncture in the West only began to be noticed in 1971, when New York Times journalist James Reston suffered from appendicitis when in China and had his appendix removed with the usual surgery. His post-operative pain was treated with acupuncture, and he wrote about it in the paper, which was the first time many people in the West had ever heard of it. Today, the use of acupuncture for many problems, including infertility is more and more common.

One of the causes of infertility is stress, and there is no doubt that we live in an age which is more stressful than it has ever been. It can prevent a woman from ovulating entirely and can also create spasms in the uterus and fallopian tubes which can interfere with an implanted egg. In men, stress can reduce sperm counts, motility, and cause impotence. Acupuncture treatment for infertility can have the effect of reducing stress by releasing endorphins in the brain.

The most common cause of infertility in women is a hormonal imbalance and this can prevent the release of a mature egg from the ovary. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk and high levels of that can also prevent ovulation. Another problem can be shortage of progesterone which will prevent the foetus from attaching itself to the uterus.

According to medical research and several studies, acupuncture can increase fertility by reducing stress, increasing blood supply to the reproductive organs, and also balancing the endocrine system. By increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, there is a better chance of the egg being nourished and carried to full term.

Modern acupuncture consists of insertions of very fine disposable stainless-steel needles into the meridians at specific points. This is believed to balance the flow of qi, or energy, along the meridians, or pathways, to the various internal organs. When the flow of qi is disrupted for any reason, pain and disease result, and by returning this energy to the way that it should flow naturally restores good health.