Acupuncture: An alternative treatment for overactive bladders?

This study reviewed evidence on acupuncture as an alternative treatment option for overactive bladders.

The authors concluded that early findings on acupuncture treatment are promising, but additional high-quality evidence is needed.

An overactive bladder is a common cause of urinary incontinence. First-line drug treatments for overactive bladders are often ineffective or cause significant side-effects. Therefore, alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, have recently been the focus of investigation. The aim of this study was to provide a contemporary overview of recent findings on acupuncture treatment for overactive bladders.

One of the studies reviewed examined the effectivity of acupuncture in the treatment of a small group of elderly women. After a six-week course of acupuncture, women reported significant improvements in urinary urge symptoms and quality of life, when compared to before the study. Eight of the women (53%) receiving acupuncture described themselves as symptom-free after treatments.

Other studies compared the effects of acupuncture with a control group that received sham acupuncture (using blunted needles or incomplete needle insertion). One study found that bladder capacity and urine flow rate were both significantly improved after a single acupuncture session, compared to the control group. However, two studies spanning over several weeks found no significant difference in urinary symptoms between patients receiving acupuncture and those in the control group. Patient reported urinary urge symptoms were reduced by 56% in the group receiving active acupuncture, and by 40% in the control group.

Two larger studies directly compared treatment with acupuncture to drug treatment over the course of several weeks. Both studies reported no difference between the two types of treatment. Acupuncture was found to be as effective as conventional drug treatment in improving episodes of urinary frequency and urgency.

Similar findings were outlined in another recent study: 82 women with overactive bladders were randomly assigned to receive treatment with active acupuncture, standard drug treatment, or sham acupuncture (acting as a control group). Treatment with acupuncture and drug treatment both significantly improved urinary symptoms when compared to the control group.

The authors concluded that these early studies indicate a possibility of acupuncture as an alternative treatment option for overactive bladders. However, the authors also advise that larger and longer randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these preliminary results.