Use of acupuncture as a treatment method for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndromes

Curr Urol Rep. 2011 Aug;12(4):288-96. doi: 10.1007/s11934-011-0186-0.

Abstract

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is the most common category of clinical prostatitis. The etiologic factors of CP/CPPS still remain unknown, and standard therapies often fail to achieve sustainable amelioration of symptoms; therefore, various treatment therapies have been approached. Recently, there is increasing evidence that acupuncture could be a safe and effective treatment in managing CP/CPPS. However, acupuncture therapy still is ranked as low-priority treatment, which results from the fact that the studies, mostly reported in nontraditional medical journals, had not employed standard definitions of the condition or validated-outcome parameters, and that the mechanism of acupuncture effects on CP/CPPS remains to be elucidated. In this article, we review the recent clinical research using acupuncture to reveal its clinical utility for CP/CPPS and the possible mechanisms of action. This article could encourage health care providers and urologists to apply acupuncture for managing pains of CP/CPPS with standard treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Therapy / methods*
  • Chronic Pain / etiology
  • Chronic Pain / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pain Measurement
  • Pelvic Pain / etiology
  • Pelvic Pain / therapy*
  • Prostatitis / complications
  • Prostatitis / therapy*
  • Syndrome
  • Treatment Outcome