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Acupuncture is effective for chronic prostatitis symptoms
Clinical Question
Can acupuncture reduce symptoms in patients with chronic prostatitis?
Bottom line
Fairly "high-dose" acupuncture, 20 sessions over 2 months, is effective to produce a clinically relevant reduction in symptoms in men with chronic pelvic pain related to chronic prostatitis. 1b
Reference
Study design: Randomized controlled trial (double-blinded)
Funding: Government
Setting: Outpatient (specialty)
Synopsis
These researchers enrolled 440 men, average age 35 years, with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome for at least 3 of the previous 6 months without evidence of infection. The average score on the Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index was 31 (of a possible 43). The men were enrolled, using concealed allocation, to receive acupuncture at 4 bilateral sites with manipulation or sham acupuncture at nonacupoints. Both groups received twenty 30-minute sessions over 2 months, 3 sessions a week for the first month and 2 sessions a week for the subsequent month. At the end of the 2 months, 60.6% of acupuncture-treated patients and 36.8% of sham acupuncture patients (P < .001) had a clinically important reduction in symptoms (at least 6 points). At 6 months after the start of the study (4 months after stopping treatment), response rates were similar: 61.5% vs 38.3% (P < .001). Expectations of benefit, an important aspect of any intervention, were similar among patients.
Reviewer
Allen F. Shaughnessy, PharmD, MMedEd
Professor of Family Medicine
Tufts University
Boston, MA
Comments
acupuncture reduces pain in chronic prostatitis
treatment may be useful to treat pain in chronic prostatitis
Acupuncture and Chronic Prostatitis
Wonder what compliance would be in the general population with this treatment. Seems to require a major commitment. Drop out rate was not reported which is a major drawback to make conclusions about this treatment.