This 2021 urinary retention acupuncture research evaluated the safety and efficacy of acupuncture for treating urinary retention (UR). Investigators identified 12 randomized, controlled trials examining acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating UR by searching the following databases: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database.
These 12 studies, which included 979 participants, demonstrated that acupuncture promoted spontaneous urination and reduced anxiety in patients with poor urination. In addition, the random-effects model showed significant differences in residual urine volume between the acupuncture group and the control group. Therefore, the investigators concluded that acupuncture was a safe and effective treatment for UR.
What Is Urinary Retention?
Clinicians characterize urinary retention (UR) as the inability to empty the bladder, a common complication of surgery and anesthesia. While there is currently no standardized definition of UR, doctors believe that a remaining urinary volume of >300 ml in the bladder is the diagnostic basis for UR. In addition, the risk of UR increases with age and can seriously affect patients’ quality of life.
Unfortunately, there are currently no clear and effective treatments for UR. Common clinical treatments include bladder function training, physical therapy, and surgical and drug treatment. However, they have limited success. Doctors generally consider catheterization the best treatment option for UR, but it is uncomfortable for the patient and increases the risk of urinary tract infections. And while cholinergic drugs and prostaglandins are promising treatments for UR, there is still insufficient evidence to support their use.
Acupuncture and Urinary Retention
Acupuncture treats numerous conditions, and clinical guidelines recommend its use for treating diseases such as dysmenorrhea, rhinitis, and stroke. In addition, many studies have shown that acupuncture regulates neurotransmitters and can objectively improve urodynamics. Despite this success, the European Association of Urology and the American Urological Association have not yet included acupuncture in treatment guidelines for UD. Therefore, these investigators conducted a meta-analysis to provide clinical decision-making recommendations. In their meta-analysis, they identified clinical randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for UR and distinguished the commonly used acupuncture points to demonstrate the beneficial effect of acupuncture on UR.
Urinary Retention Study Guidelines
Investigators retrieved randomized controlled trials by searching the following databases from inception to September 2020: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Search terms included “acupuncture” OR “electro-acupuncture” OR “acupuncture points” OR “moxibustion” AND “urinary retention” OR “post‐operative complications” OR “urination disorders”.
Acupuncture Treatment for Urinary Retention
The experimental group received several types of acupuncture therapy, including electric, auricular, manual, and scalp acupuncture. Alternatively, the control group received no intervention, placebo, drug therapy, rehabilitation training, sham acupuncture, or other conservative treatment, such as urinary catheterization. Investigators measured the change in the number of voluntary urinations and the change in residual urine volume (RUV) for the primary outcome indicators.
Urinary Retention Acupuncture Research
Researchers included 12 randomized controlled trials in the study, involving 979 patients diagnosed with UR (483 in the experimental group and 496 in the control group). The intervention measure in the experimental group was either electric or manual acupuncture. For the control group, seven groups received medications. The remaining patients in the control group received conventional symptomatic treatment. All trials tracked spontaneous urination, while three studies reported changes in RUV.
All studies reported positive changes in the number of people with spontaneous urination after acupuncture. In addition, the results showed that acupuncture effectively promoted spontaneous urination and reduced anxiety in patients with poor urination.
Principal Research Study Findings
This urinary retention acupuncture research demonstrated that acupuncture had obvious advantages over conventional treatment in improving UR. In addition, acupuncture consistently promoted spontaneous urination and reduced RUV.
What Causes Urinary Retention?
UR usually occurs from myelopathy or lumbar spine surgery. Myelopathy describes any neurologic problem related to the spinal cord. When due to trauma, myelopathy is considered a spinal cord injury. When inflammatory, it’s called myelitis; when it is vascular, it is vascular myelopathy.
There are many causes of UR. First, damage to nerves that control the interaction between the bladder and the brain may cause loss of bladder control. Second, dysfunction in muscles or nerves that control urination may affect normal bladder and ureter function, leading to bladder dysfunction or failure of pelvic floor relaxation.
Acupuncture’s Impact on UR
Previous research studies have shown that the direct nerve signal inducing bladder contraction originates from the Barrington nucleus. The Barrington nucleus is the core component of the urinary circuit, increasing urination by activating the spinal excitatory pathway. In animal studies, acupuncture changed the discharge characteristics of neurons related to bladder activity in and around the Barrington nucleus, thereby regulating bladder urination.
According to Traditional Chinese medicine, the kidneys govern water metabolism. When the kidneys and bladder are in harmony, urine production and expulsion are normal. Abnormal bladder Qi transformation can induce UR, resulting in a low urine volume, dripping, or even blockage. Simulating specific acupoints can unblock meridians and improve organ function, promoting Qi transformation of the kidney and bladder and restoring normal bladder function.
Beneficial Acupuncture Points for UR
This urinary retention acupuncture research demonstrated that acupuncture was a safe and effective treatment and had good results in treating postpartum and postoperative UR. Particularly effective acupuncture points included BL32, SP6, Zhongji, and CV4.
Next Steps
We have successfully treated many patients with urinary retention over the past two decades. Try acupuncture if you struggle with UR or another urinary condition, including repeated urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, and frequent night urination.
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Reference
Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Urinary Retention: A Meta-Analysis, Chengwen Zheng, Zaoying Li, Haizhen Lu, and Yi Zhou. 29 Sep 2021
Focus Keyphrase: Urinary Retention Acupuncture Research
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What our Clients are Saying
I highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture. I was getting urinary tract infections every three months since my son was born and it was driving me crazy. After six treatments I was cured and no longer got them. I was treated so well and am very happy.
Went to Raleigh Acupuncture for frequent UTIs. They took care of the problem and I don’t get them anymore. Thank you!
I have suffered from IC for over 10 years, with terrible cramping and burning urination, having to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. I tried acupuncture out of desperation because I wasn’t getting relief anywhere else. It worked incredibly and took away most of my IC symptoms. Why didn’t I know about this sooner. Raleigh Acupuncture is a really good practice. They have kept me healthy for over three years now. I highly recommend them for treating IC.