Male Infertility
Sperm quality responds quickly to the right support. Many couples struggling to conceive see real improvement within a few treatment cycles.
What are the options when a semen analysis shows abnormalities?
Being told that a semen analysis is abnormal can raise many questions. It may involve a low sperm count or low concentration (oligozoospermia), reduced motility (asthenozoospermia), or a high proportion of sperm with an abnormal shape (teratozoospermia) – and often several of these at once. For some, the news comes unexpectedly, while others have already been through several fertility investigations or IVF attempts.
We don’t start by treating a semen analysis – we start by understanding the man behind the result. Through a full assessment of your health, we build a treatment plan designed to give you the best possible chance of a future pregnancy.
What Affects Sperm Quality
From our clinical experience, we have identified several key factors that commonly reduce sperm quality. These are often overlooked by standard fertility investigations.
Excess Body Heat
When a man runs too hot, sperm quality often suffers significantly. Night sweats are a common sign of this imbalance. Temperature regulation is one of the most important factors we address—and one of the first to show improvement.
Digestive Problems
Issues like sticky stools, loose bowels, or poor digestion directly affect sperm motility, often making sperm sluggish and slow. The gut's ability to absorb nutrients determines the raw materials available for sperm production.
Stress and Emotional Strain
Chronic stress can lower sperm production and reduce sex drive, creating a cycle that makes conception harder on multiple levels. The body diverts energy away from reproduction when it is under constant pressure.
Difficulties During Intercourse
Men who experience problems during intercourse often have an underlying imbalance that also affects sperm quality. These issues are usually connected—addressing the root cause improves both.
Age
Sperm production continues throughout life, but it changes with age. A man of 25 and a man of 48 rarely have the same starting point – with increasing age we often see lower motility and a higher proportion of sperm with damaged DNA. Age cannot be changed, but it is important to factor into the overall assessment.
How We Support Male Fertility
Chinese medicine takes a whole-body approach to male fertility. Rather than treating sperm counts in isolation, we identify and correct the underlying imbalances—whether that is excess heat, poor digestion, stress, or depleted energy.
Using personalised herbal formulas, we work to regulate internal temperature, strengthen digestive function, reduce stress, and nourish the body's capacity to produce healthy sperm.
Alongside the herbal treatment, we look at your lifestyle together and give practical advice that fits your daily life – on heat, sleep, tobacco, alcohol, exercise and weight, and on things like testosterone supplements that can affect sperm production.
The good news is that sperm responds quickly to support. Unlike egg quality, which develops over months, measurable improvements in sperm count, motility, and quality are often seen within just a few treatment cycles.
What the Research Says
A growing body of peer-reviewed research supports the use of Chinese herbal medicine for male infertility. Here is a summary of the published evidence.
Improved Sperm Count, Motility & DNA Integrity
A meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (960 participants) published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2018) found that a traditional herbal formula significantly improved sperm concentration, motility, and reduced sperm DNA fragmentation compared to controls.
Better Results Than Vitamins Alone
A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (1,488 patients) in Andrology (2020) found that TCM combined with vitamins significantly improved sperm concentration, motility, viability, and pregnancy rates compared to vitamins alone, with no increase in adverse effects.
Higher Pregnancy Rates After Varicocele Surgery
A systematic review of 17 RCTs found that Chinese herbal medicine combined with varicocelectomy yielded significantly higher pregnancy rates than surgery alone (RR=1.76), suggesting herbal support may enhance post-surgical recovery and fertility.
Six Mechanisms of Action Identified
A comprehensive review in The World Journal of Men's Health (2019) identified six ways TCM supports male fertility: regulating hormones, boosting testicular cell function, reducing oxidative stress and DNA damage, promoting sperm production, supplying essential trace elements, and improving seminal plasma quality.
Protects Against Oxidative Damage
An experimental study in Medical Science Monitor (2016) demonstrated that a Chinese herbal formula enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, reduced oxidative damage, repaired testicular tissue, and significantly improved sperm count, motility, morphology, and DNA integrity.
Note: While these studies show promising results, many authors note methodological limitations and call for larger, more rigorous trials. Chinese herbal medicine should be considered as a complementary approach, and we always recommend discussing your situation with your GP or fertility specialist alongside any herbal support.
Remote Care, Wherever You Are
Our clinic is based in central Stockholm, but most of our patients work with us remotely through our digital platform. You go through the whole process from home — with the same personalised support as an in-clinic visit, wherever you are in the UK or internationally.
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