Electroacupuncture Improves Voiding Function in Patients with Neurogenic Urinary Retention Secondary to Cauda Equina Injury: Results from a Prospective Observational Study

Objective To report the therapeutic effectiveness and feasibility of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment in patients with urinary retention which is caused by cauda equina injury and refractory to conventional conservative treatments. Methods From 9 August 2007 to 10 May 2010 prospective evaluation was carried out in 15 patients with neurogenic urinary retention secondary to cauda equina injury who underwent EA treatment at bilateral points BL32, BL33 and BL35. All patients received five sessions of EA treatment each week for the first 4 weeks, three sessions a week for the following 2 weeks, and then were followed up for 6 months. Voiding abilities, postvoiding residual urine volume (RUV) and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) were documented as outcome measures. Results After 6 weeks’ EA treatment, 10/15 enrolled patients regained their self-voiding ability, and the mean postvoiding RUV for all patients decreased by 303.6±148.8 ml. In nine patients with documented data, Qmax increased by 11.0±6.3 ml/s. In nine patients, voiding difficulties changed from severe to mild. At the end of 6 months’ follow-up, 8/10 patients retained their regained self-voiding ability, whereas two patients had lost their voiding ability again. Conclusion The results indicate that the EA treatment may have longlasting therapeutic effectiveness in the management of neurogenic urinary retention secondary to cauda equina injury.