《Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice》 ›› 2016, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (12): 1438-1437.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2016.12.016

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Effects of Acupuncture in Different Stages on Pelvic Floor Muscles and Urinary Function in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury 

CHENG Rui-dong, ZHU Gen-ying, YE Xiang-ming, LI Jue-bao, ZHOU Liang, WEN Wan-shun, TIAN Liang   

  1. Department of Rehabilitation, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
  • Received:2016-07-26 Published:2016-12-25 Online:2017-01-15
  • Contact: YE Xiang-ming. E-mail: yexmdr@126.com

Abstract: Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on pelvic floor muscles and urinary function in patients with spinal cord injury.Methods From March, 2012 to March, 2015, 23 patients with spinal cord injury were divided into control group (n=8), early intervention group (n=8) and later intervention group (n=7). The control group received routine rehabilitation, the intervention groups received acupuncture at Baliao (BL-31, BL-32, BL-33 BL-34), Yanglingquan (GB-34), Sanyinjiao (SP-6) and Taichong (LR-3) acupoints in addition. The early intervention group was acupunctured one week before removal of catheter, and the later intervention group adopted intermittent catheterization after removal of catheter, and then received acupuncture. The pelvic floor muscles strength, the urine function and quality of life were recorded before and six weeks after intervention.Results There was no significant difference in all the indices before intervention (P>0.05). After intervention, the pelvic floor muscles strength improved in the intervention groups compared with the control group (P<0.05). There was significant difference in the mean frequency of urinary voiding, bladder capacity, time of establishing reflect urination and residual volume of urine after intervention among all the groups (P<0.05), except the mean frequency of urinary voiding and bladder capacity between the control group and the later intervention group (P>0.05). The quality of life improved in all the groups after intervention (F>0.864, P<0.05), however, no significant difference was found among three groups (F=1.558, P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture, especially early acupuncture, could improve the pelvic floor muscle strength and bladder function in spinal cord injury patients.

Key words: spinal cord injury, acupuncture, pelvic floor muscles, bladder function, quality of life

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