OBJECTIVETo assess the clinical effect of electroacupuncture neurostimulation therapy for urge urinary incontinence (UUI) and to search for an effective acupuncture therapy.

METHODSForty-eight patients with UUI were treated by electroacupuncture neurostimulation therapy. Four abdominal acupoints and four sacral acupoints were selected, and electroacupuncture was added at these points after the insertion of needles toward a specific direction to excite the pudendal nerve and the iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerves. The symptom scores before treatment, after treatment and when followed up (1 year after treatment) were recorded and the clinical effect was assessed.

RESULTSThere was significant difference not only between before treatment and after treatment (11.98 +/- 5.18 vs 3.04 +/- 3.76, P < 0.01) but also between before treatment and when followed up (11.98 + 5.18 vs 4.40-4.27, P < 0.01). The effective rate was 81.3% (39/48) after treatment and 66.7% (32/48) when followed up, with no significant difference between them (P > 0.05). In addition, it was found that both the symptom scores and the improvement rates after treatment and when followed up had significant regression trend. The linear regression equations were Y = 0.978X + 1.400 (P < 0.01, R2 = 0.753) and Y = 0.975X-0.106 (P < 0.01, R2 = 0.695), respectively.

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture neurostimulation therapy has preferable short-term and long-term therapeutic effects for UUI, and there are significant positive correlations between short-term and long-term therapeutic effect.