Recent studies done by Sahin S. et al. and published in Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. in 2015 have shown that acupuncture can help reduce urine problems. One hundred patients with chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome were randomized to receive acupuncture at either seven acupoints bilaterally or sham points adjacent to these points. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index was completed by each patient before and 6, 8, 16, and 24 weeks after the treatment. The higher score the patients had, the more severe the symptoms.

Results showed that the use of acupuncture in the treatment of men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome resulted in a significant decrease in total NIH Chronic Symptom index scores, indicating significant relief of the clinical symptoms.

Also Read: Interest in Acupuncture for the Treatment of Prostate Problems

Dr. Xu conducted another clinical study comparing acupuncture-moxibustion and herbal treatment for patients with benign prostate hyperplasia and published in Zhongguo Zhen Jiu (2014). One hundred and twenty-eight patients were evenly randomized into an acupuncture-moxibustion group and a Qianliekang group. In the acupuncture-moxibustion group, acupuncture was applied to Shenshu (BL 23), Pangguangshu (BL 28), Zhongji (CV 3), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Shuidao (ST 28), and warm moxibustion therapy with a moxa stick was used at Shenshu (BL 23), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Shenque (CV 8) once every day. In the Qianliekang group, Qianliekang tablets were prescribed for oral administration, 4 tablets each time, three times a day, for 3 months. The International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) and the changes in residual urine (Ru) and maximal urine flow rate (Qmax) determined with the ultrasonic B test were compared before and after treatment in the two groups.

The results of I-PSS, Qmax, and Ru improved dramatically after treatment as compared with those before treatment in the two groups. The improvements in the acupuncture-moxibustion group were much more obvious than those in the Qianliekang group.  The total effective rate was 89.1% (57/64) in the acupuncture-moxibustion group, which was better than 68.7% (44/64) in the Qianliekang group.