Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of biofeedback and electrical stimulation therapy (BFES) combined with Sabale capsules (SC) on chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).
Methods: A total of 140 outpatients meeting CP/CPPS diagnostic and research criteria in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were randomly divided into groups A (blank control), B (BFES intervention), C (SC intervention) and D (BFES+SC intervention), 35 cases in each group. The patients in group A were left untreated, while those in groups B, C and D received BFES, SC and BFES+SC, respectively, all for 12 weeks. Then the patients were followed up at 30 days after treatment and the urinary flow rate and NIH-CPSI scores were obtained and compared with the baseline.
Results: In comparison with the baseline, the total NIH-CPSI scores after intervention were significantly decreased in groups B, (［27.30 ± 2.44］ vs ［19.43 ± 2.33］), C (［26.77 ± 2.54］ vs ［19.40 ± 2.75］) and D (［27.67 ± 3.69］ vs ［15.57 ± 1.94］) (all P < 0.05), and so were the individual item scores in pain or discomfort (［12.50 ± 1.94］ vs ［9.40 ± 2.01］, ［11.93 ± 1.64］ vs ［9.23 ± 1.96］, and ［12.33 ± 2.20］ vs ［7.50 ± 1.55］), urination symptoms (［6.07 ± 1.57］ vs ［3.83 ± 1.05］, ［5.97 ± 1.33］ vs ［3.77 ± 1.14］, and ［6.20 ± 1.88］ vs ［2.87 ± 0.94］), quality of life (QOL) (［8.73 ± 1.62］ vs ［6.20 ± 1.42］, ［8.87 ± 1.25］ vs ［6.40 ± 1.59］, and ［9.13 ± 1.70］ vs ［5.20 ± 1.40］) (all P < 0.05), while the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) was remarkably increased (［15.72 ± 2.38］ vs ［19.73 ± 2.85］, ［16.20 ± 2.44］ vs ［19.46 ± 2.48］, and ［15.83 ± 2.52］ vs ［22.49 ± 2.76］) (all P < 0.05), and so was the average urinary flow rate (Qavg) (［9. 282 ± 1.52］ vs ［11.27 ± 1.95］, ［8.97 ± 1.25］ vs ［11.16 ± 1.74］, and ［9.20 ± 1.36］ vs ［13.50 ± 2.30］) (all P < 0.05). The decrease in NIH-CPSI total and item scores and increase in Qmax and Qavg after treatment were more significant in group D than in B and C (P < 0.05), but showed no statistically significant difference between groups B and C (P > 0.05). Nor was any significant change observed in the above parameters in group A after treatment ( P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Biofeedback and electrical stimulation therapy combined with Sabale capsules can alleviate urination dysfunction, pelvic floor tension myalgia and other symptoms and significantly improve the QOL of CP/CPPS patients.
Keywords: biofeedback; Sabale capsules; chronic prostatitis / chronic pelvic pain syndrome; electrical stimulation.