Electroacupuncture versus sham electroacupuncture for urinary retention in poststroke patients: study protocol for a...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Urinary retention is a common complication in post-stroke patients.
• Conventional treatments for post-stroke urinary retention have limitations.
• Electroacupuncture (EA) is being explored as an adjuvant therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of adjuvant electroacupuncture (EA) for urinary retention in post-stroke patients.
• To compare EA with a sham control in improving post-void residual (PVR) ratios.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of EA in this patient population.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, blinded, randomized controlled trial involving 54 stroke survivors with urinary retention.
• Participants randomly assigned to receive 10 sessions of EA or a Park-sham control over 2 weeks.
• Primary outcome: change in daily PVR ratio; secondary outcomes: Qualiveen Questionnaire, International Prostate Symptom Score, blinding index, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• Data collection included baseline and end-of-study PVR ratios.
• Participant-reported outcomes and adverse events were systematically recorded.
• Statistical analysis planned using independent t-test or Mann-Whitney U test.

Conclusions:

• The study aims to provide clinical evidence for EA's effectiveness in managing post-stroke urinary retention.
• Findings will inform clinical practice regarding the use of EA in stroke rehabilitation.
• This research contributes to understanding non-pharmacological interventions for neurological recovery.