Pilot Study Suggests Acupuncture Reduces Urinary Incontinence
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found that acupuncture may be effective in treating frequent urinary urge and mixed urinary incontinence (UI) according to a recent pilot study.
In the randomised, double-blinded clinical trial, nine women between the ages of 44 and 66 were randomly assigned to true or sham (placebo control) acupuncture groups. Both true and sham acupuncture treatments were performed twice a week for six weeks.
Subjects randomised to the true acupuncture group had an average 63.30% reduction in daytime accidents one week after treatment and 67.47% reduction at 4 weeks. In contrast, the average reduction in daytime accidents after sham treatment was 18.88% at 1 week and 16.67% at 4 weeks.
The authors recommend further research to examine the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of UI in women.
