Review Article

Acupuncture for Chronic Prostatitis or Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Table 1

Characteristics summary of included studies.

Treatment groupControl group
Author/year (number)Country languagePatientsDiagnostic criteriaAgeSample sizeInterventionFrequencyAgeSample sizeInterventionFrequencyTimesOutcomesPositive or negativeQuality score (JADAD ≥ 4)

Liang 2020 [20]China (China)CP① + ② + ④ + ⑥ + ⑦ + ⑧42.2 ± 12.831Electric acupuncture + western medicine1/2d41.9 ± 13.030Western medicine1/d45a+b + b1 + b2 + b3 + c + e+6
Xia et al. 2020 [21]China (China)CP/CPPS① + ② + ⑥ + ⑦ + ⑧43.24 ± 6.2333Tiaoshen acupuncture1/d43.70 ± 6.2534Western medicine2/d24a + b + e+4
Yang et al. 2018 [27]China (China)CP/CPPS① + ② + ③ + ⑦ + ⑧ + ⑨18–5560Acupuncture3/w18–5557Sham acupuncture3/w24a + b + c + d+4
Chen et al. 2016a [28]China (China)CP/CPPS① + ② + ⑥ + ⑧18–4830Scalp acupuncture + western medicine1/d19–4529Western medicine1/d24a + b+4
Chen et al. 2016b [28]China (China)CP/CPPS① + ② + ⑥ + ⑧18–4729Scalp acupuncture1/d19–4529Western medicine1/d24a + b_4
Guo and Wang 2018 [29]China (China)CP/CPPS① + ② + ④ + ⑥28–4837Acupuncture + acupoint injection1/d24–4937Western medicine1/d10a + e+5
Xie et al. 2021 [22]China (English)CP① + ② + ⑦ + ⑧ + ⑨35.17 ± 8.7624Acupuncture3/w35.48 ± 7.9227Sham acupuncture3/w20a + b+5
S. H. Lee and B. C. Lee 2008 [32]Malaysia (English)CP/CPPS① + ② + ③ + ⑦ + ⑧≥2044Acupuncture2/w≥2045Sham acupuncture2/w20a + b + b1 + b2 + b3 + c + e+5
Lee et al. 2011 [30]China (English)CP/CPPS① + ② + ③ + ⑦ + ⑧40.9 ± 11.044Acupuncture2/w42.8 ± 9.445Sham acupuncture2/w20a+5
Qin et al. 2018 [31]China (English)CP/CPPS① + ⑦ + ⑧ + ⑨18–5034Acupuncture3/w18–5034Shan acupuncture3/w24a + e+7
Sahin et al. 2015 [33]Turkey (English)CP/CPPS① + ⑧ + ⑨20–5050Acupuncture1/w20–5050Sham acupuncture1/w6a + b + b1 + b2 + b3 + e+5

§: three-arm trial. Diagnostic criteria: symptoms: ①prostate or pelvic region pain history: persistent or recurrent discomfort or pain in the prostate or pelvic area more than 3 months; ②lower urinary tract pathologies or genitourinary pain in the prostate or pelvic area more than 3 months; ③sexual dysfunction: impotence, premature ejaculation, spermatorrhea, sexual desire decreases; physical examination; ④prostate palpitation: abnormal size, uneven surface, local tenderness, or a lot of prostate fluid flow; auxiliary examination; ⑤ultrasonic examination: a slightly deformed section but with no expansion, uneven and inconsistent capsule often accompanied with prostatolith, less or not a smooth echo of a prostatic capsule and less even or uneven internal echo; ⑥laboratory test: EPS (white blood cell >10/HP objective and reduced of lecithin capsule); NIH-CPSI: ⑦NIH-CPSI total score ≥15 scores; age: ⑧age ≥18; ⑨age ≤50. Outcomes: a. treatment efficacy; b. NIH-CPSI score; b1. pain score; b2. urinary symptom score; b3. quality of life score; c. IPSS score; d. recurrence rate; e. side-effect.