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. 2013 Sep;6(3):773-780.
doi: 10.3892/etm.2013.1210. Epub 2013 Jul 9.

Acupuncture for the treatment of urinary incontinence: A review of randomized controlled trials

Sun-Ho Paik  1 , Su-Ryun Han, Oh-Jun Kwon, Young-Min Ahn, Byung-Cheol Lee, Se-Young Ahn
Affiliations

Acupuncture for the treatment of urinary incontinence: A review of randomized controlled trials

Sun-Ho Paik et al. Exp Ther Med. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of acupuncture on urinary incontinence and to discuss why these acupoints were selected. Seven databases were searched for any randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the use of acupuncture or acupressure as a treatment for urinary incontinence, and the Cochrane risk of bias tool was utilized to evaluate the risk of bias in each study. Four RCTs met all the inclusion criteria. The results from the selected RCTs failed to demonstrate any statistically significant improvements in urinary incontinence, although acupuncture or acupressure did exhibit favorable effects on overactive bladder symptoms and quality of life, in comparison with other conventional therapies. There have been limited results supporting acupuncture or acupressure as an effective treatment method for urinary incontinence; therefore, further RCTs are required to confirm the effectiveness of acupuncture or acupressure in the treatment of urinary incontinence.

Keywords: acupressure; acupuncture; leakage; urinary incontinence.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of trial selection process. CCT, controlled clinical trial; RCT, randomized controlled trial.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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