7513 Acupuncture for Pelvic Floor Disorders: A Literature Review

Abstract

<h3>Study Objective</h3> Pelvic floor disorders, including chronic pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse, significantly impact the quality of life of nearly 1 in 4 women. Symptoms are sometimes refractory to conservative measures such as behavioral modifications and physical therapy. The objective of this study is to identify the quality of current literature regarding the efficacy of acupuncture as treatment for pelvic floor disorders. <h3>Design</h3> A search of PubMed and Scopus databases was conducted using the search string "acupuncture" AND ("pelvic pain" OR "pelvic floor" OR "vaginismus" OR "vulvodynia" OR "atrophic vaginitis" OR "prolapse"). Two reviewers independently screened the articles, and 17 papers were selected. Articles were excluded if they were case reports or reviews, published more than 10 years ago, subjects were men or pregnant women, or English full text was not available. <h3>Setting</h3> N/A. <h3>Patients or Participants</h3> N/A. <h3>Interventions</h3> N/A. <h3>Measurements and Main Results</h3> Eight of the 17 studies described acupuncture's effect on chronic pelvic pain, 7 of which were randomized controlled trials (RCT's) and 1 of which was a qualitative study. All demonstrated that acupuncture reduced perceived pain intensity, but 3 reported no difference compared with control groups. Seven of the 17 articles studied acupuncture use in urinary incontinence, all of which were RCT's, and all but one concluded acupuncture was at least non-inferior to other conservative treatments. The remaining 2 studies looked at pelvic floor dysfunction. One was an RCT and 1 was a clinical trial, and both showed acupuncture significantly reduced symptoms. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Though higher-powered RCT's still need to be conducted, a survey of the current literature demonstrates acupuncture is a versatile tool that may be utilized for a variety of pelvic floor disorders including chronic pelvic pain, incontinence, and pelvic floor dysfunction. Acupuncture may be a viable alternative for patients with pelvic floor disorders whose symptoms are refractory to other conservative measures.