Sacral electroacupuncture as a treatment for urge urinary incontinence: a prospective case series

Objective: To examine the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) at the ‘four sacral points’ on urge urinary incontinence (UUI). Methods: Twenty-five patients diagnosed with UUI or urgency-predominant mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) were treated by EA at the ‘four sacral points’. EA was performed in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society 2021-10, Vol.39 (5), p.522-528
Main Authors: Chen, Shan, Wang, Siyou, Xuan, Lihua, Xu, Fu, Lu, Hanti, Lu, Jing
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture Points
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Electroacupuncture
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Quality of Life
Questionnaires
Sacrococcygeal Region - physiology
Treatment Outcome
Urinary incontinence
Urinary Incontinence, Urge - physiopathology
Urinary Incontinence, Urge - therapy
Urination
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Summary:Objective: To examine the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) at the ‘four sacral points’ on urge urinary incontinence (UUI). Methods: Twenty-five patients diagnosed with UUI or urgency-predominant mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) were treated by EA at the ‘four sacral points’. EA was performed in the sacrococcygeal region using disposable sterile 0.40-mm-diameter acupuncture needles that were either 100 or 125 mm in length. Treatments were delivered once every other day. Before and after treatment, a questionnaire measuring symptom severity and quality of life associated with UUI was administered. Results: The median total score (interquartile range) from the severity of symptoms and the quality of life questionnaire (Q-score) of the participants was significantly reduced from 12 (7.5, 15) before treatment to 3 (0, 6) after 6 (6, 12) EA treatments. The Q-score of urgency-predominant MUI and UUI was 8 (5, 14.5) and 12.5 (11, 15), respectively, before treatment; after treatment these were reduced to 2 (0, 7.5) and 4.5 (2, 6), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the Q-score between urgency-predominant MUI and UUI before and after treatment. Upon treatment completion, seven patients (28%) were ‘cured’ (improvement rate 100%). Treatments were considered ‘markedly effective’ (improvement rate 75% to
ISSN:0964-5284
1759-9873
DOI:10.1177/0964528420968846