A narrative review of acupuncture in prostate diseases: perspectives from traditional Chinese medicine, current evidence and future directions

Una revisión narrativa de la acupuntura en enfermedades de la próstata: perspectivas de la medicina tradicional China, evidencia actual y direcciones futuras

Prostate diseases, including chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer, are among the most common conditions in andrology and urology. These diseases significantly affect patients’ life quality and have profound impacts on the mental and psychological health of patients. Acupuncture has been widely used to treat prostate diseases, demonstrating notable efficacy and safety. This review synthesizes traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspectives on prostate diseases and evaluates the clinical application of acupuncture while summarizing mechanisms and proposing future research directions. Our review included twenty clinical trials involving CP/CPPS, BPH and prostate cancer. Acupuncture demonstrates significant efficacy in symptom relief (pain reduction and improvement of urinary symptoms) and disease modification (prostate volume reduction). The most frequently targeted meridians were the bladder meridian of foot-taiyang, the spleen meridian of foot-taiyin, ren meridian, the pericardium meridian of hand-jueyin, the liver meridian of foot-jueyin, the heart meridian of hand-shaoyin, the gallbladder meridian of foot-shaoyang and the kidney meridian of foot-shaoyin. In addition, acupuncture treatment for each disease exhibited distinct TCM characteristics and mechanisms of action. Patients with prostate disease may benefit from acupuncture treatment, however, high-quality clinical evidence, standardized guidelines and exploration of the mechanisms of acupuncture for prostate diseases are needed in the future.

Resumen

Las enfermedades prostáticas, incluyendo la prostatitis crónica/síndrome de dolor pélvico crónico (PC/SDPC), la hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB) y el cáncer de próstata, se encuentran entre las afecciones más comunes en andrología y urología. Estas enfermedades afectan significativamente la calidad de vida de los pacientes y tienen un profundo impacto en su salud mental y psicológica. La acupuntura ha sido ampliamente utilizada para tratar enfermedades prostáticas, demostrando una notable eficacia y seguridad. Esta revisión sintetiza las perspectivas de la Medicina Tradicional China (MTC) sobre estas enfermedades, evalúa su aplicación clínica, resume los mecanismos de acción y propone futuras líneas de investigación. Nuestra revisión incluyó veinte ensayos clínicos sobre PC/SDPC, HPB y cáncer de próstata. La acupuntura demostró una eficacia significativa en el alivio de síntomas (reducción del dolor, mejoría de síntomas urinarios) y en la modificación de la enfermedad (reducción del volumen prostático). Los meridianos más frecuentemente seleccionados fueron el meridiano de la vejiga (taiyang del pie), el meridiano del bazo (taiyin del pie), el meridiano ren, el meridiano del pericardio (jueyin de la mano), el meridiano del hígado (jueyin del pie), el meridiano del corazón (shaoyin de la mano), el meridiano de la vesícula biliar (shaoyang del pie) y el meridiano del riñón (shaoyin del pie). Además, el tratamiento con acupuntura para cada enfermedad presentó características distintivas según la MTC y mecanismos de acción específicos. Los pacientes con enfermedades prostáticas podrían beneficiarse del tratamiento con acupuntura. Sin embargo, en el futuro se necesitan evidencias clínicas de alta calidad, guías estandarizadas y una mayor exploración de los mecanismos subyacentes a la acupuntura en estas patologías.

Acupuncture; Prostate diseases; Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome; Benign prostatic hyperplasia; Prostate cancer; Traditional Chinese medicine

Palabras Clave

Acupuntura; Enfermedades prostáticas; Prostatitis crónica/síndrome de dolor pélvico crónico; Hiperplasia prostática benigna; Cáncer de próstata; Medicina tradicional China

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