Objective: To observe the short-term efficacy, long-term efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).
Methods: Forty-two patients with CP/CPPS were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (21 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a sham acupuncture group (21 cases). The patients in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at bilateral Zhongliao (BL 33), Huiyang (BL 35), Shenshu (BL 23) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6); the needling depth of Zhongliao (BL 33) and Huiyang (BL 35) was 60 to 80 mm, while Shenshu (BL 23) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) was directly punctured of 30 mm. The patients in the sham acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at non-acupoints, including points 2 cm next to Shenshu (BL 23), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Huiyang (BL 35), and the midpoint of the connecting line between the spleen meridian and the kidney meridian. All the non-acupoints were treated with directly puncture of 2 to 3 mm. The needles were left for 30 min in both groups, once every other day in the first four weeks, three times a week, and twice a week in the next four weeks, totally 20 treatments. Before treatment, after treatment and in follow-up of 24 weeks after treatment completion, the National Institutes of Health-chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI) score and urinary flow rate were observed in both groups; the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated.
Results: Compared with those before treatment, the pain and discomfort scores, urination symptoms scores, quality of life scores and total scores of NIH-CPSI in both groups were reduced after treatment in the two groups (P<0.01), while each item score and total score of NIH-CPSI in the acupuncture group were reduced in follow-up (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment and in follow-up, each item score and total score of NIH-CPSI in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05, P<0.01). After treatment, the maximum and average urinary flow rates in the acupuncture group were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the average urinary flow rate in the acupuncture group was higher than that in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 75.0% (15/20) in the acupuncture group, which was higher than 42.9% (9/21) in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05). No significant adverse reactions were observed in the two groups, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Acupuncture could effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms, improve quality of life, and has a sustained, safe and reliable therapeutic effect in patients with CP/CPPS.
目的：观察针刺治疗慢性前列腺炎/慢性盆腔疼痛综合征（CP/CPPS）患者近期、远期疗效及针刺安全性。方法：将42例CP/CPPS患者随机分为针刺组（21例，脱落1例）和假针刺组（21例）。针刺组穴取双侧中髎、会阳、肾俞、三阴交行针刺治疗，中髎、会阳针刺60~80 mm，肾俞、三阴交直刺30 mm；假针刺组穴取双侧肾俞、中髎、会阳旁开2 cm非经非穴点和三阴交旁开非穴点（脾经和肾经连线中点），均直刺2~3 mm。两组均留针30 min，前4周隔日1次，每周3次，后4周每周2次，共治疗20次。于治疗前后及治疗后24周随访，观察两组患者美国国立卫生研究院慢性前列腺炎症状指数（NIH-CPSI）评分和尿流率，评价临床疗效及安全性。结果：治疗后，两组患者NIH-CPSI疼痛不适、排尿症状、生活质量各分项评分及总分均较治疗前降低（P<0.01）；随访时，针刺组患者NIH-CPSI各分项评分及总分均较治疗前降低（P<0.01，P<0.05）。治疗后及随访时，针刺组NIH-CPSI各分项评分及总分均低于假针刺组（P<0.05，P<0.01）。治疗后，针刺组最大尿流率、平均尿流率均较治疗前升高（P<0.05），针刺组患者平均尿流率高于假针刺组（P<0.05）。针刺组总有效率为75.0%（15/20），高于假针刺组的42.9%（9/21，P<0.05）。两组均无明显不良反应发生，不良反应发生率比较差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论：针刺能有效缓解CP/CPPS患者的临床症状，提升其生活质量，且疗效持续、安全可靠。.
Keywords: acupuncture; chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome; randomized controlled trial (RCT); urinary flow rate.