SPERMACRASEA TREATED BY ACUPUNCTURE AND GINGER PADDED MOXIBUSTION

Liang Xueying

(Acupuncture Department, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou)

Acupuncture and ginger-padded moxibustion treatment for spermacrasia (i.e. sperm-count less than 60 million/ml., sperm-activity below 60%, and/or sperm-shape abnormal) was started at our clinic by myself in 1956. In the more fruitful eleven years and a half, from Jan. 1971 to Jun, 1982, a total of 160 cases of spermacrasia were treated, of which 25 cases came up with sperm number decreased; (2). Baliao and shenshu for acupuncture and 112 cases with syndrome of both.

Method: Acupuncture in association with ginger-padded moxibustion (that is, putting a slice of ginger over the acupoint for burning moxa upon it) were applied at the same time with two respective groups of acupoints: (1). Dahe, Qugu and Sanyinjiao for acupuncture and Guangyuan and Zhongji for moxibustion: (2). Baliao and shenshu for acupuncture and shenshu and Mingmen for Moxibustion. Both groups of treatment were carried out alternately every other day. Acupuncture began with tonifying manipulation until the patient having needling reaction when it was followed by ginger-padded moxibustion with 3 moxas in succession at the most. Every 15 sessions were accounted for one course of treatment and, if necessary, another course could be started after one week's interval.

Curative effect: 125 cases (78.3%) were entirely cured (sperm-count more than 60 million/ml., sperm-activity more than 60%, sperm-shape turned normal), 35 cases (20.62%) improved (sperm-count and activity increased), and 2 cases without any response (sperm-count and activity unchanged), the efficiency being 98.95%, According to the follow-up of 103 cases, 80 cases were cured with 68 cases (85%) having childbirths, and 23 cases improved with 6 cases (26%) having childbirths. The birth rate was 71.85%. In 58 cases, before and after treatment, the changes within 24 hours showed that urine level of 17-hy-droxycorticoid and 17- ketosteroid were both estimated to rise in a different degree, while among them there were 33 cases having lower 17-hydroxycorticoid content and 27 cases having lower 17-ketosteroid content, after treatment, 14 cases returned to normal respectively.

Pathology and therapeutics: According to the traditional Chinese medicinal theory, I considered that spermacrasia is ascribed to Kidney-asthenia, relating to meridian of "Shen", "Du", "Ren", etc. Upon differentiation of the symptom-complex, spermacrasia might be considered as the impairment of kidneyessence and the decline of the "fire" of the vital gate (Mingmen). The choice of acupoints for treatment should be made in accordance with those channels mentioned above and acupuncture first given with tonifying manipulation. The ginger-padded moxa can invigorate the kidney-essence and strengthen the fire of the vital gate because of their warm nature. The elevated urine level of 17-hydroxycorticoid reflects the function of adrenal cortex and the elevated urine level of 17-ketosteroid reflects the metabolic state of sex hormones. So the adrenal cortex function and gonadal function could be promoted and adjusted by the treatment. Therapeutic effect might be connected with the regulated function of hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal-gonadal axis.