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Acupuncture treatment for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH)

The acupuncture treatment for this condition will be given everyday for as long as 3 months. Along w
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http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/742-prostateub33
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https://yinyanghouse.com/acupuncture/acupuncture-with-moxibustion-helps-bph-study
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https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1745-6215-12-211
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Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called prostate enlargement, is a non-cancerous increase in size of the prostate. Symptoms may include frequent urination, trouble starting to urinate, weak stream, inability to urinate, or loss of bladder control. The cause is unclear. Risk factors include a family history, obesity, type 2 diabetes, not enough exercise, and erectile dysfunction. Medications like pseudoephedrine, anticholinergics, and calcium channel blockers may worsen symptoms. The underlying mechanism involves the prostate pressing on the urethra thereby making it difficult to pass urine out of the bladder.1

 

RESEARCH


Stimulating the acupuncture point BL-33 has shown to be more effective than terazosin, an alpha-1 antagonist drug used for treating enlarged prostates, in improving international prostate symptoms scores. The drug terazosin also lowers blood pressure but may include side effects including dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, constipation, loss of appetite, exhaustion, dry eyes, nasal congestion and erectile dysfunction. Stimulating the recommended acupuncture point does not induce adverse affects, but instead relieves the urinary discomfort and dysfunction associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia.2

BL-33 is located on the sacrum directly over the third posterior sacral foramen. In addition, BL-33 is the meeting point of the bladder and gallbladder channels. BL-33 regulates the lower burner and also strengthens the back and legs. Acupuncture is commonly applied to this point for the treatment of lower back pain, irregular menstruation and leukorrhea. This point also has the traditionally cited functions for benefitting urination and defecation. BL-33 is indicated for a variety of urinary disorders including difficult urination, urinary retention, painful urination and dribbling urination.3

Electroacupuncture is to applied bilaterally to BL-33 at 20 Hz with acupuncture needles that are inserted obliquely. The procedure consists of a total of 16 acupuncture treatments over a one month period of time. Electroacupuncture at acupoint BL-33 is effective for the treatment of this condition because acupuncture successfully causes sacral neuromodulation.4

Another treatment includes the daily stimulation of the following acupoints for three months: BL-23, BL-28, CV-3, CV-4 and ST-28. Warm moxibustion therapy could be also added at the BL-23 point, along with the CV-4, CV-8 point. Integrating a traditional chinese herbal medication for prostate enlargement like qianliekang, 4 tablets three times every day for three months is also recommended.5

Footnotes

  1. Prostate Enlargement – niddk.nih.gov – 2014, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/prostate-problems/prostate-enlargement-benign-prostatic-hyperplasia
  2. Acupuncture Eases Prostate – healthcmi.com – 2013, http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/742-prostateub33
  3. Acupuncture Eases Prostate – healthcmi.com – 2013, http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/742-prostateub33
  4. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs Treat Prostate Enlargement – realnatural.org – 2015, https://www.realnatural.org/acupuncture-and-chinese-herbal-medicine-found-to-successfully-treat-prostate-enlargement/
  5. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs Treat Prostate Enlargement – realnatural.org – 2015, https://www.realnatural.org/acupuncture-and-chinese-herbal-medicine-found-to-successfully-treat-prostate-enlargement/