[Clinical study on treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome by three different TCM principles].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of various therapeutic principles of TCM in treating patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).


METHODS
Adopting blinded controlled trial method, 218 patients with CP/CPPS were randomly assigned to 4 groups: Group A treated with Aike Decoction for smoothing Gan-qi; Group B with Bazhengsan Decoction for clearing heat and removing dampness; Group C with Qianliexianyan Decoction for promoting blood circulation to remove stasis; and Group D with placebo. The scores of NIH chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI), clinical symptoms, including pain, symptoms of urinary tract and quality of life (QOL), and TCM syndrome integral were estimated at the beginning, the end of the 2nd and 4th week in the study.


RESULTS
Compared with the others, Group A showed a superiority in improving NIH-CPSI, scores of various clinical symptoms and TCM syndrome integral at the 2nd week, and improving NIH-CPSI, scores of pain and QOL at the 4th week (all P < 0.05), while the improvement on urinary tract symptoms and TCM syndrome integral in Group A at the 4th week were better than those in Group B and D, but insignificantly different to those in Group C, respectively. No adverse reaction occurred in Group A and D, but it did occur in the other two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
TCM therapy for smoothing Gan-qi shows good efficacy with quick initiating and high safety, it is an important principle for the treatment of CP/CPPS.
Zhang
Min-jian
MJ
People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian College of TCM, Fuzhou. zmj83@tom.com
Chu
Ke-dan
KD
Shi
Ya-lei
YL
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal