Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome and acupuncture--a case report

A 47 year old man had suffered from chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) for eight years, and received conventional treatment from a university clinic without effect during the entire period. The patient presented for acupuncture treatment, complaining of constant pain in the perineal region, varying in severity from 5 to 9 on a 0 to 10 pain scale. After three treatments with acupuncture, the pain was reduced to 3.5; after a further three treatments the pain was reduced to 2.5; and after 10 months, the pain was reduced to either 2 or 3 and has remained stable for two years since then. The acupuncture points used were BL28, BL29 and KI3, all located within the S2-S4 segments. It seems likely that the reported beneficial effect may be due to the acupuncture treatment and further cases should be studied.