Health Brief

NEW STUDY: ACUPUNCTURE BRINGS BENEFITS TO WOMEN WITH BLADDER PROBLEMS

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Many older adult women experience problems with complete bladder control, experiencing leakage in moments of physical stress such as laughter or sneezing, or getting an uncontrollable urge to void. In the U.S., 17% of men and women suffer from this condition.

There are medications that help — but they are accompanied by side effects such as rapid heartbeat, anxiety or agitation, sleeplessness, difficulty breathing and more.
A new study shows that Acupuncture can provide the same benefits as medication without the side effects.

A study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology reported that 85 women were treated with either Acupuncture treatment specifically intended to benefit the overactive bladder or acupuncture treatment for general relaxation.

The women who received general relaxation treatment reported a significant improvement in incontinent episodes but no improvement to the other symptoms of incontinence.
The women who received the specific acupuncture treatments for overactive bladder reported improvements in all symptoms: incontinent episodes, voiding frequency, urinary urgency and bladder capacity.

The improvements in both groups were comparable to the improvements offered by drug therapy or behavior therapy.

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SOURCE: http://www.my.webmd.com/content/Article/108/109010.htm