Kidney and Urinary Disorders

ACUPUNCTURE USEFUL FOR OF DIABETIC BLADDER DYSFUNCTION
A Chinese pilot study suggests that acupuncture may be clinically useful in the treatment of diabetic bladder dysfunction (DBD). Thirty cases in an acupuncture group were compared with 15 cases in a sham acupuncture group. In the acupuncture group, five of six urodynamic measures demonstrated significant improvement over the 15-day treatment period. Only one measure significantly improved in the sham acupuncture group. There were significant differences after therapy in four measures (bladder compliance, maximal bladder capacity, bladder volume at desire to void, and urge to void) between the groups. In 25 subjects of the acupuncture group incontinence improved from 2.4 to 1.4, while in the sham acupuncture group incontinence deteriorated from 2.2 to 2.3. (Acupuncture in the treatment of diabetic bladder dysfunction. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Aug;15(8):905-9).