Effect of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture on urodynamics in patients with neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury

Abstract

To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture combined with thunder-fire moxibustion on urodynamics in patients with neurogenic bladder (NB) after spinal cord injury(SCI). A total of 60 patients with NB after SCI were divided into control group and observation group using a random number table, with 30 patients in each group. Bladder management protocol was performed for both groups. The patients in the control group were given electroacupuncture at Shangliao (BL31), Zhongliao (BL33), Xialiao (BL34), and Ciliao (BL32) at both sides, and those in the observation group were given thunder-fire moxibustion as mild-warm moxibustion at Yaoyangguan (GV3), Mingmen (CV4), Qihai (CV6), Guanyuan (CV4), and Zhongji (CV3) in addition to the treatment in the control group; electroacupuncture or moxibustion was performed for 20 min each time, once a day, with 10 times as one course of treatment, and both groups were treated for 3 courses. Number of times of voluntary urination, maximum single urine volume, and number of times of urethral catheterization were recorded at 3 d before and after treatment; maximum urinary flow rate during urination, maximum bladder capacity during urination, bladder pressure during the bladder filling period, and residual urine volume were recorded before and after treatment, and bladder compliance was calculated; clinical outcome was evaluated for both groups. After treatment, both groups had significant reductions in the numbers of times of urination and urethral catheterization (P<0.05) and a significant increase in maximum single urine volume (P<0.05), and the observation group had significantly better results than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, both groups had significant reductions in residual urine volume and bladder pressure during the bladder filling period, and the observation group had significantly greater reductions than the control group (P<0.05); both groups had significant increases in bladder compliance, maximum bladder capacity during urination, and maximum urinary flow rate during urination, and the observation group had significantly higher values than the control group (P<0.05). The observation group had a significantly higher response rate than the control group ［90.00% (27/30) vs 63.33% (19/30), P<0.05］. Thunder-fire moxibustion combined with electroacupuncture can effectively improve bladder urodynamics and has a marked clinical effect in patients with NB after SCI.