Published in

Hindawi, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, (2013), p. 1-9, 2013

DOI: 10.1155/2013/543174

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Electroacupuncture Improves Bladder and Bowel Function in Patients with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Results from a Prospective Observational Study

Journal article published in 2013 by Zhishun Liu, Weiming Wang, Jiani Wu ORCID, Kehua Zhou ORCID, Baoyan Liu ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

In order to explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) for chronic bowel and bladder dysfunction after traumatic spinal cord injury, 14 patients were treated with electroacupuncture once a day, five times a week for the first four weeks, and once every other day, three times a week for the following four weeks. The patients were then followed up for six months. After treatment, four (4/14, 28.57%) patients resumed normal voiding; six (6/14, 42.86%) resumed normal voiding for no less than half of all micturition behaviors; four (4/14, 28.57%) required supplementary urination methods for higher than half of all micturition behaviors. These effects persisted during followup. Mean postvoid RUV decreased by190.29±101.87 mL (P<0.01) after treatment and by198.86±112.18 mL (P<0.01) during followup. Patients’ weekly urinary incontinence frequency decreased7.14±46.34times/week (P=0.036) after treatment and decreased49.86±44.38times/week during followup. After treatment, four (4/14, 28.57%) patients resumed normal bowel movements (P=0.025); five (5/14, 35.71%) reduced the dependence on supplementary defecation methods; five (5/14, 35.71%) had no changes. In patients with chronic bowel and bladder dysfunction after traumatic SCI, EA may provide a valuable alternative tool in improving patients’ self-controlled bowel and bladder functions with minimal side effects.