Study Suggests Acupuncture May Help Prevent UTI's

Six percent of adult women in the U.S. suffer from repeated urinary tract infections (UTIs). Besides the discomfort and loss of work, antibiotic treatments cost an average of $1.6 billion annually. Now new research suggests that hope may come from an unconventional source. Acupuncture may help to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections in adult women.

The study, conducted in Norway, reports that women with previous UTIs who were treated with acupuncture had fewer recurrences than women without this treatment. The acupuncture points were located on the lower abdomen or back according to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. The women treated with acupuncture had half as many UTI episodes over a six-month period as women in a control group. The researchers attributed the reduction in UTIs to the fact that the acupuncture group had 50 percent less residual urine in their bladders. Residual urine may increase the risk for recurrent UTIs.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, residual urine is a known risk factor for recurrent lower UTIs among postmenopausal women. The researchers suggested that this study, which included 100 women aged 18 to 60, may indicate this to be true among adult women in general. In this study, 75 percent of the women had residual urine levels above 10 cc. Residual urine may trigger a UTI by allowing bacteria a chance to grow and multiply.

The bladder is an organ that stores urine. Under normal conditions, you can urinate when your brain senses that the bladder is full. When something disrupts this process, urine may be retained in the bladder. A blockage to the flow of urine can make you unable to empty your bladder. Alternatively, problems with nerves or muscles that regulate bladder function cause urinary retention. Certain medications also can cause urinary retention, such as over-the-counter cold and allergy preparations. Some antidepressants can relax the bladder too much and cause urination problems.

Here are the symptoms of a UTI:

What we can do for Urine disorder in Scientific Acupuncture Center?

We are very proud of our treatment for urine disorder no matter the patient is a woman or a man. The effective rate for urine disorder is almost 100%. For bladder disorder, we use electric acupuncture. For infection like UTI or prostate infection, we integrate electric acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine. Most patients can feel the effect right after the first treatment.