Acupuncture efficacy in the treatment of persistent primary nocturnal enuresis
Mohamed Abd El Hakam El Koumi1, Saber Al Sayed Ahmed, Ahmed Mohamed Salama
1Departments of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.
Insights
Traditional Chinese acupuncture effectively treats persistent primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) in children, with a 92% cure rate after one year. This traditional medicine approach offers stable results for increasing dry nights.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
Background:
- Persistent primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) affects children and adolescents.
- Assessing the efficacy of traditional Chinese acupuncture for PNE is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of acupuncture for persistent primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE).
Main Methods:
- Fifty children and adolescents with PNE received counseling and two 10-day acupuncture treatment courses.
- Response was monitored via dry nights and spontaneous arousals.
- Patients with partial/no response received additional treatment and extended follow-up.
Main Results:
- Initial treatment yielded a 76% cure rate and 18% partial improvement at six months.
- After one year, 92% of patients achieved complete cure, with 8% showing treatment failure.
- Acupuncture demonstrated stable efficacy in increasing dry nights.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture therapy appears effective for PNE, increasing dry nights with sustained results.
- Further controlled studies are recommended to confirm efficacy and explore mechanisms.
- Traditional medicine offers a viable treatment option for PNE.
Introduction:
This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of traditional Chinese acupuncture in the treatment of persistent primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE).
Methods:
Fifty children and adolescents suffering from persistent PNE were recruited from the Pediatrics and Urology Outpatient Clinic of Zagazig University Hospital during the year 2010. They included 31 boys and 19 girls, with a mean age of 116 ± years (range 9-17 years). The children and their parents underwent thorough counseling followed by two courses of treatment, each course administered over 10 consecutive days. Patients were instructed to continue regular follow-up, every three months, after starting the therapy. The response rate (cure, improvement, or failure) was monitored by recording dry nights and the number of spontaneous arousals to void per week on a calendar. Children who showed partial or no response after six months of observation received another two courses of acupuncture therapy, and were followed up for a further six months period.
Results:
After the initial two courses of treatment, the cure rate at six months was 76% with an additional 18% achieving partial improvement. Twelve children needed another two courses of treatment. After one year of follow-up, 92% of patients showed complete cure and 8% showed failure of acupuncture therapy.
Conclusion:
Acupuncture treatment in patients with PNE appears effective in increasing the percentage of dry nights, with stable results even after the end of treatment courses. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm these results and to elucidate the therapeutic mechanism of acupuncture.
Keywords:
Acupuncture Therapy; Nocturnal Enuresis; Traditional Medicine.
