Thread-Embedding versus Manual Acupuncture for Overactive Bladder in Postmenopausal Women: Randomized Controlled...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Integrative Medicine
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Overactive bladder (OAB) significantly impacts the quality of life for postmenopausal women.
• Urinary urgency, frequency, and nocturia are hallmark symptoms of OAB.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and safety of thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA) versus sham TEA in treating OAB in postmenopausal women.
• To evaluate the impact of TEA on key OAB symptom parameters and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, randomized, controlled trial involving 68 postmenopausal women with OAB.
• Participants received either TEA or sham TEA weekly for 8 weeks, followed by an 8-week follow-up period.
• Primary outcome: mean daily voiding frequency; Secondary outcomes: bladder diary parameters, OABSS, and King's Health Questionnaire scores.

Main Results:

• Both TEA and sham TEA groups demonstrated reductions in 24-hour voiding frequency by week 8.
• No statistically significant difference was found between the groups for the primary outcome after baseline adjustment.
• While both groups improved over time, no significant group-by-time interactions were observed for secondary outcomes. Nighttime voiding showed a trend towards improvement in the TEA group at follow-up, but without statistical significance between groups.

Conclusions:

• Thread-embedding acupuncture and manual sham acupuncture are safe and effective in alleviating OAB symptoms in postmenopausal women.
• No significant differences in efficacy were observed between TEA and sham acupuncture in this study.
• Further large-scale, long-term research is recommended to elucidate any specific advantages of TEA for OAB management.