Table 3.
The baseline characteristics of the patients of the enrolled studies.
| References | Patient age, years | Inclusion criteria | Control intervention | Sample size (acupuncture vs. control) | Outcomes | Acupuncture sessions | Follow-up time | Adverse events (acupuncture vs. control) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee et al., 2008 [15] | 40.9 ± 11.0 (Acu) vs. 42.8 ± 9.4 (Sacu) | CP/CPPS | Sham acupuncture | 44 (Acu):45 (Sacu) | NIH-CPSI | Biweekly for 10 weeks | 5, 10, 14, 22, 34 weeks | 8/44 (6 hematomas and 2 with pain at needling sites) vs. 5/45(1 hematoma, 3 with pain at needling sites, and 1 with acute urinary retention) |
| Lee and Lee, 2009 [16] | 39.8 ± 5.8 (Acu) vs. 36.4 ± 5.8 (Sacu) | CP/CPPS (category III) | Sham acupuncture | 12 (Acu):12 (Sacu) | IPSS、NIH-CPSI Brief pain inventor | Biweekly for 6 weeks | 3, 6 weeks | Only 1 Sacu patient experienced lower back pain near the needling site. |
| Sahin et al., 2015 [22] | 32.1 ± 7.2 (Acu) vs. 32.8 ± 7.0 (Sacu) | CP/CPPS (category III B) | Sham acupuncture | 45 (Acu):46 (Sacu) | IPSS NIH-CPSI | Every week for 6 weeks | 6, 8, 16, 24 weeks | No adverse events were reported in both groups. |
| Qin et al., 2018 [25] | 33.8 ± 6.8 (Acu) vs. 35.1 ± 9.6 (Sacu) | CP/CPPS | Sham acupuncture | 34 (Acu):34 (Sacu) | NIH-CPSI IPSS | 3 times a week for 8 weeks | 24 weeks | 4/34(3 participants complained of hematoma and 1 described sharp needling pain) vs. 1/34 (1 participant reported fatigue after treatment) |
| Zhao and Sun, 2014 [20] | 32 ± 6. 91 vs. (Acu) 33 ± 7. 39 (Sacu) vs. 31 ± 6. 78 (Med) | CP/CPPS (category III B) | Sham acupuncture; Tamsulosin Hydrochloride 0.2 mg qd (Med) | 29 (Acu):29 (Sacu):29 (Med) | NIH-CPSI | Biweekly for 4 weeks | No report | 1 (Acu, 1 participant fainted during treatment) vs. 0 (Sacu) vs. 1 (Med, 1 participant had hypotension) |
| Liu et al., 2012 [18] | 33.2 ± 10.6 (Acu) vs. 31.8 ± 8.8 (Med) | CP (not specified) | Prostate tablets 70 mg bid, | 33 (Acu):32 (Med) | NIH-CPSI | 3 times a week for 4 weeks | No report | Not provided |
| Qi and Wu, 2012 [17] | 32.60 ± 7.04 (Acu + Med) vs. 34.77 ± 10.88 (Med) | CP/CPPS (category III) | Terazosin 2 mg qd | 30 (Acu + Med):30 (Med) | NIH-CPSI | Once every three days, a total of 10 times | No report | Not provided |
| Ma et al., 2014 [19] | 31 ± 8 (Acu) vs. 33 ± 7.0 (Med) | CP (category III B) | Tamsulosin Hydrochloride 0.2 mg, indomethacin 75 mg tid | 37 (Acu):29 (Med) | NIH-CPSI Chinese medicine symptom score | Every 2 weeks for 8 weeks | 8 weeks | Not provided |
| Küçük et al., 2015 [21] | 33.30 ± 7.84 (total) | CP/CPPS (category III B) | Levofloxacin 500 mg daily, ibuprofen 200 mg bid | 26 (Acu):28 (Med) | NIH-CPSI | Twice a week for 7 weeks | 28 weeks (range 20–43 weeks) | No adverse events were reported in both groups. |
| Chen et al., 2016 [23] | 33 ± 7 (Acu) vs. 34 ± 7 (Med)< | CP/CPPS | Levofloxacin 200 mg bid, Tamsulosin Hydrochloride 0.2 mg qd | 30 (Acu + Med):29 (Acu):29 (Med) | NIH-CPSI | Once a day for 24 days | No report | Not provided |
| Gen et al., 2016 [24] | 29.13 ± 13.56 (Acu) vs. 28.84 ± 14.63 (Med) | CP/CPPS (category III B) | Tamsulosin Hydrochloride 0.2 mg qd | 28 (Acu):28 (Med) | NIH-CPSI | Once every 2 days, for 4 weeks | No report | Not provided |
Acu: acupuncture; sacu: sham acupuncture; med: medication.