The most common symptom of an overactive bladder is a sudden, uncontrolled need or urge to urinate; followed by the need to urinate excessively throughout the day and night, independent of fluid intake. In women, causes of overactive bladder are varied, but the common consequence, beyond the physical manifestations, are frustration and embarrassment.
While medications designed to relax the bladder remain a frontline treatment option, research continues to show the potential of nonpharmaceutical options – including acupuncture. Case in point: a 2023 research review that concludes acupuncture is effective and safe for treating overactive bladder.
The research team searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library to for English-language clinical trials (up to April 2022) on acupuncture for overactive bladder. Primary outcome measures were three-day voiding or 24-hour voiding diary; with the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7) and Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), and other assessment tools used to compare patient baseline status vs. improvement following treatment.
Treatment courses included a variety of acupuncture points, with SP 6 (Sanyinjiao) the most commonly utilized point. Other popular points: CV 5 (Guanyuan) and KI 3 (Taixi). The most commonly chosen meridians for treatment focus: the bladder and ren meridians. Average treatment time was approximately four weeks, representing 1-3 sessions per week, depending on the study, with average needle retention time of 20 minutes per session.
The study authors note three possible mechanisms of action underlying acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating overactive bladder:
Source: Wang H, Lei X. Acupuncture for women with overactive bladder: perspective of traditional Chinese medicine and related mechanism. Int J Gen Med, March 2023;2023(16):113-1148. Click here for full-text access.
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