When the prostate gland becomes inflamed, it can cause pain in the penis, scrotum, and belly. It can also cause sexual dysfunction. The mainstays of medical treatment for chronic prostatitis include antibiotics and painkillers, but in some cases, they don’t bring relief to men with the condition.
A new study found that 20 sessions of acupuncture over eight weeks improved symptoms in more than 60% of participants, compared with 37% of patients who were given a “sham” version of acupuncture for comparison. The treatment, rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, involved inserting needles in the low back and buttocks. The benefits were still apparent six months after the acupuncture sessions ended.
The study doesn’t answer why acupuncture improves chronic prostatitis symptoms, as the underlying mechanisms are still unclear and require further research.
References
- Sun, Y., Liu, Y., Liu, B., Zhou, K., Yue, Z., Zhang, W., et al. (2021). Efficacy of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Annals of Internal Medicine. doi: 10.7326/M21-1814. Retrieved from: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/full/10.7326/M21-1814