The study was done to conduct a systematic review of the current state of evidence of acupuncture for uncomplicated rUTI in women. Nine databases were searched from inception to February 2019 as a tool for data collection.
Five RCTs involving 341 participants were included. The methodological quality of studies and the strength of the evidence was low to moderate. The chance of achieving a composite cure with acupuncture therapies was greater than that of antibiotics (inferred from three studies). The risk of UTI recurrence was lower with acupuncture than with no treatment (two studies, 135 participants, RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.26–0.58, I2 = 0%) and sham acupuncture (one study, 53 participants, RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.22–0.92).
Acupuncture appeared to be beneficial for treatment and prophylaxis of rUTIs, noting the limitations of the current evidence. Given the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance, there is a need for high‐quality RCTs of non‐pharmacological interventions such as acupuncture.
This study concluded that acupuncture may improve treatment and prevent the recurrence of urinary tract infections in women.
Reference: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.16315
