Electroacupuncture relieves pain in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: three-arm randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical effect of electroacupuncture (EA) for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).


METHODS
We recruited 63 participants meeting the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus criteria for CP/CPPS. After the inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, 39 men were randomized to 3 treatment groups: group 1, advice and exercise plus 12 sessions of EA; group 2, advice and exercise plus 12 sessions of sham EA (SEA); and group 3, advice and exercise alone (A&E) for 6 weeks. A total of 6 acupuncture points were used to stimulate the sacral nerve and release the piriformis muscle using an electrical pulse generator. Symptoms related to CP/CPPS were assessed using the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI). Prostaglandin E(2) and beta-endorphin levels in postmassage urine samples were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
At 6 weeks, the NIH-CPSI total score had decreased significantly in the EA group compared with the SEA and A&E groups (P < .001). On a subscale analysis of the NIH-CPSI, the EA group showed significant decreases in pain-related symptoms compared with the SEA and A&E groups (P < .01). All 12 EA participants experienced at least a 6-point decrease in the NIH-CPSI total score compared with 2 of 12 SEA participants (16.7%) and 3 of 12 A&E participants (25.0%; P < .0001). The mean prostaglandin E(2) level in the postmassage urine samples had significantly decreased in the EA group (P = .023). In contrast, it had increased in the other 2 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In a 3-arm randomized trial investigating the clinical effects of EA on CP/CPPS, EA therapy proved to have independent therapeutic effects, particularly for pain relief superior to SEA or A&E therapy.
Lee
Sang-Hun
SH
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Urology and Nephrology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Lee
Byung-Cheol
BC
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011336:Probability; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D015232:Dinoprostone