Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Chronic Prostatitis-Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Category IIIB Patients: A Prospective, Randomized, Nonblinded, Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE To compare the acupuncture treatment and the medical treatment with antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on pain control, urinary symptoms, and quality of life of category IIIB chronic prostatitisechronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP-CPPS). METHODS From November 2008 to May 2009, 54 male patients with category IIIB CP-CPPS were randomly divided into 2 groups: the medical treatment group (group 1, n = 28) and the acupuncture treatment group (group 2, n = 26). Group 1 took levofloxacin 500 mg daily and ibuprofen 200 mg twice a day for 6 weeks. In the acupuncture group (group 2), bilateral BL32 (Ciliao) and BL33 (Zhongliao) acupoints were used to stimulate the sacral nerve using an electrical pulse generator, twice a week for 7 weeks. The change in National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index scores from the baseline to the end of the treatment was observed. RESULTS The mean follow-up was 28 weeks from the baseline (range, 20-43 weeks). In acupuncture group, reduction of pain, urinary symptoms, quality of life, and total National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index score was higher compared with the medical group. CONCLUSION However the treatment of CP-CPPS is challenging and difficult for the urologists. This clinical study showed that the acupuncture treatment is a safe and effective treatment of category IIIB CP-CPPS. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc.