“Four sacral needles” therapy for female stress incontinence

Abstract

Objective: To make a retrospective control study of the curative effects of “Four sacral needles” method and conventional acupuncture therapy on female stress incontinence.Methods: A treatment group was treated by “Four sacral needles” method, in which four sacral points were electroacupunctured with special insertion of needles to excite the pudendal nerve and induce the rhythmic contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, thereby increasing the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and improving ability in urinary continence. A control group was treated by conventional acupuncture therapy, in which corresponding points were acupunctured according to syndrome-based classification.Results: In the 31 cases of the treatment group treated by “Four scaral needles” method, 100% symptom improvement occurred in 22(71.0%)after an average of 21 treatments (3–63 treatments). In the 34 cases of the control group treated by conventional acupuncture therapy, 100% symptom improvement occurred in 0 after 30 treatments. The curative effect was better in the treatment group than in the control group (p<0.01). The curative effect improved with an increase in the number of treatments in the treatment group.Conclusion: “Four sacral needles” method is more effective than conventional acupuncture therapy in treating female stress incontinence.