OBJECTIVETo determine the effect of acupuncture on chronic prostatitis.

METHODSWe retrieved all the case-control studies on acupuncture for chronic prostatitis before August 2007 in MEDLINE and CNKI databases, screened the eligible literature according to the selection and exclusion criteria, and performed meta-analyses of the included studies with the software Revman 4. 2.

RESULTSThirteen eligible reports were identified in this study, including 861 cases and 738 controls. The effectiveness and cure rates were significantly higher in the acupuncture therapy group than in the control, with pooled RR as 1.20 (95% CI, 1.14, 1.25; P < 0.01) and 1.85 (95% CI, 1.63, 2.11; P < 0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture therapy exhibited a definite effect in the treatment of chronic prostatitis.