[Randomized controlled clinical trials for electroacupuncture treatment of urinary incontinence in stroke patients]

To observe clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) for post-stroke urinary incontinence in patients.

A total of 111 stroke inpatients with urinary incontinence were randomly divided into EA group (n = 56) and control group (n = 55). Patients of the control group were treated by administration of calcium ion antagon, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin II receptor antagonist, compound thromb-clearing agent (i.v.), etc.,and acupuncture of Jianyu (LI 15), Xuehai (SP 10), etc. Patients of the EA group were treated by EA of bilateral Shenshu (BL 23), Huiyang (BL 35), etc., combined with the treatment as the control group. The treatment was conducted once daily for 4 weeks. Crooks (1995) Scores of the clinical symptoms and clinical efficacy assessment were given before and after the treatment.

After the treatment, the severity of urinary incontinence and symptom scores in both control and EA groups were decreased significantly in comparison with pre-treatment (P < 0.01). Following the treatment, of the 55 and 56 stroke patients in the control and EA groups, 0 and 4 (7.1%) were cured in the symptoms of frequent micturition, urgency of micturition and incontinence of urine, 20 (36.4%) and 35 (62.5%) were effective, 35 (63.6%) and 17 (30.4%) were invalid, with the effective rates being 36.4% and 69.6%, respectively. The therapeutic effect of EA group was apparently superior to that of the control group (P < 0.01). In addition, the infection rate of the EA group was strikingly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05).

EA can lower the severity of urinary incontinence and improve clinical symptoms of micturition in stroke patients.