| Summary: | Background Stroke is one of the major disease burdens in HK. Bladder dysfunction is one of the consequences occurred in stroke patients. More than 80% of survivors of a first-ever stroke reported the presence of any urinary symptom. Overactive bladder (OAB) is defined by the International Continence Society as a urinary urgency, with or without urge incontinence, usually with urinary frequency and nocturia, in the absence of infection or obvious neoplastic, metabolic, or other pathologies. The prevalence of OAB is approximately 11.8% and increases with age, with no significant difference between sexes. It has been shown that 28.2% of chronic stroke patients had OAB symptoms, and most importantly, 73% of the patients with OAB had never been treated for their symptoms. OAB affects the daily life of many stroke victims, it may trigger social isolation, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and decreased health-related quality of life. It is the major long-term disability in adults which remains a tremendous public health burden. Since patients may hesitate to complain of OAB symptoms, caregivers and medical staff may overlook the possibility of a diagnosis, resulting in under-treatment. Objectives To compare the efficacy of acupuncture with sham acupuncture and usual care (control) in the treatment of post-stroke overactive bladder using a prospective randomized, double-blind, trial design.
Results & Conclusion 34 subjects were recruited (randomization: acupuncture group (N=16), control group (N=18)) and treatment effects between groups and across time were assessed by mixed effects models. OAB Symptom Score (OABSS) was found significantly decreased at week 5 (p = 0.016) and week 8 (p = 0.012) in acupuncture group when compared to control group. Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SSQoL) was found similar between two groups.
This study demonstrated a beneficial effect of electroacupuncture treatment on decreasing OABSS and electroacupuncture treatment is well-tolerated by post-stroke patients.
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