A study has revealed that 20 sessions of acupuncture over 8 weeks lead to greater improvements in symptoms of moderate-to-severe chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), with the long-lasting effects 24 weeks following treatment unlike with the sham therapy.
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What Is Chronic Prostatitis?
Prostatitis is defined as the swelling and
inflammation of the prostate gland – which is the walnut-sized gland situated
directly below the bladder in men. The prostate gland is the gland responsible
for producing fluid (semen) that nourishes and transports sperm.
Prostatitis is a medical condition among men that often
causes painful or difficult urination. Other symptoms of prostatitis include
pain in the groin, pelvic area or genitals, and sometimes it has flu-like
symptoms.
If a prostatitis is caused by bacterial infection, it
can generally be treated with antibiotics. Prostatitis affects men of all ages;
however, it is more prevalent in men in their 50’s.
This medical condition, depending on the underlying
cause, will come on gradually or suddenly. Although prostatitis might improve quickly
on its own or with treatment such as antibiotics. There are some types of
prostatitis that will last for months or will be recurring known as chronic
prostatitis.
What Is Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome?
Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CPPS) is a health condition
which is characterized by an ongoing pain in the pelvic region. The pain
experienced will vary from person to person, severity level (mild or severe),
type (dull or sharp), and longevity (constant or intermittent). CPPS-related
pain may also spread to the buttocks, lower back, and thighs.
A multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial was
facilitated in 10 tertiary hospitals in China. There was a total of 440 men
with moderate-to-severe CP/CPPS were randomly designated to either 20 sessions
of acupuncture or sham therapy over an 8-week period, with 24-week follow-up after
the treatment.
The number of responders or participants who attained
a clinically significant reduction of at least 6 points from baseline, was the
primary endpoint, on the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis
Symptom Index at weeks 8 and 32. Establishing of sustained efficacy has
required the between-group difference to be statistically significant at both
time points.
Responders at week 8 were 60.6% in the acupuncture group and 36.8% were in the sham therapy group. During week 32, responders were 61.5% in the acupuncture while 38.3% in the sham groups.
There were 20 or 9.1% adverse effects that were reported
in the acupuncture group and 14 adverse events were reported in the sham therapy
group. However, there were no serious adverse events were reported during the
follow-through period.
Researchers said that the study was limited by sham therapy
that might have had certain physiologic effects in participants.
Source: Ann Intern Med 2021;doi:10.7326/M21-1814