Efficacy of acupuncture on drinkers with chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome: secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in alleviating symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) among drinkers.
Results Summary
Acupuncture showed a statistically significant improvement in pain symptoms (58.9% responders vs. 40.3% in sham group) but had no effect on urinary tract symptoms or erectile function.
Population
Drinkers with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
8 weeks (primary outcome), with follow-up at 32 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
acupuncture | decrease | symptoms of pain | drinkers with CP/CPPS | - | appeared to alleviate | #1 |
acupuncture | increase | quality of life | drinkers with CP/CPPS | - | improve | #2 |
acupuncture | no change | urinary tract symptoms | drinkers with CP/CPPS | - | had no demonstrable effect | #3 |
acupuncture | no change | erectile function | drinkers with CP/CPPS | - | had no demonstrable effect | #4 |
acupuncture | increase | proportion of responders in terms of NIH-CPSI | drinkers | 58.9% | was | #5 |
sham acupuncture | increase | proportion of responders in terms of NIH-CPSI | drinkers | 40.3% | was | #6 |
acupuncture | increase | proportion of responders in terms of NIH-CPSI | drinkers | 18.6% | had a statistically significant difference of | #7 |
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in drinkers with chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial across multiple centers, involving 224 drinkers. Patients received either acupuncture or sham acupuncture treatment. The primary outcome was the proportion of responders, defined as participants who had a reduction of 6 points or more from baseline in the National Institute of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) total score at weeks 8 and 32. Secondary outcomes measures included the Global Response Assessment (GRA), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and International Index of Erectile Function 5 (IIEF-5). RESULTS: One hundred and twelve drinkers were included in each group (n = 224 in total). The proportion of responders in terms of NIH-CPSI was 58.9% versus 40.3% in the acupuncture group (AG) and sham acupuncture group (SAG), respectively, with a statistically significant difference of 18.6% ( CONCLUSION: Acupuncture appeared to alleviate the symptoms of pain among drinkers with CP/CPPS and improve their quality of life, but had no demonstrable effect on urinary tract symptoms or erectile function among these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03213938 (ClinicalTrials.gov).