The Role of Acupuncture and Its Related Mechanism in Treating Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

Abstract

Hao Wang, Jiwei Zhang, Dongyue Ma, Ziwei Zhao Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jiwei Zhang, Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, Email [email protected]: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is one of the most common diseases in urology, and its prevalence has been increasing, causing serious urogenital problems in men. Several targeted oral drug therapies exist to treat the pelvic pain experienced in this disease. However, these therapies may have potential adverse effects, and due to the unique location of the prostate, delivery of medications to the target lesion is difficult. Consequently, many patients seek alternative therapies. Acupuncture is a well-established treatment method in traditional Chinese medicine that can improve CP/CPPS symptoms and reduce pain. However, previous systematic reviews overlooked the significance of the characteristics and mechanisms of acupuncture therapy. This study aimed to summarize the characteristics and benefits of acupuncture therapy for CP/CPPS based on relevant literature and predict and analyze its related mechanisms.Keywords: acupuncture, chronic prostatitis, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, mechanism, traditional Chinese medicine, pain

Keywords

• acupuncture
• chronic prostatitis
• chronic pelvic pain syndrome
• mechanism
• traditional chinese medicine
• pain