%0 Journal Article
%T Efficacy of electroacupuncture at Zhongliao point (BL33) for mild and moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
%A Yang Wang
%A Zhishun Liu
%A Jinna Yu
%A Yulong Ding
%A Xuan Liu
%J Trials
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1745-6215-12-211
%X This is a double-blinded randomized controlled trial. 100 Patients will be randomly allocated into the treatment group (n = 50) and the control group (n = 50). The treatment group receives needling at BL33 and the control group receives needling at non-point. The needling depth, angle, direction, achievement of De Qi and parameters of electroacupuncture are exactly the same in both groups. The primary outcome measure is reduction of international prostate symptom score (IPSS) at the 6th week and the secondary outcome measures are reduction of bladder residual urine, increase in maximum urinary flow rate at the 6th week and reduction of IPSS at the 18th week.This trial will assess the specific therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture at BL33 for mild and moderate BPH.Protocol Registration System of Clinical Trials.gov NCT01218243For thousands of years, points of the fourteen meridians have always maintained their specific locations, and therapeutic indications. Point specificity is the central part of acupuncture and plays an important role in clinical practice. It has been proved by Cochrane reviews that acupuncture is effective for migraine prophylaxis, tension headache and chemotherapy-induced nausea or vomiting [1-3]. But there still remains a level of uncertainty about the specificity of some acupuncture ponits [4]. The difficulty in resolving this problem is due to the fact that acupuncture outcome is influenced by complex interplay of insertion depth, angle, and achievement of De Qi. Recently published trials in Germany show that acupuncture was no more effective than sham acupuncture for migraine, headache and knee osteoarthritis [5-8]. One could attribute it to adenosine's role in the mechanistic actions of acupuncture. According to the latest research [9], ATP release from keratinocytes in response to insertion and manual rotation of acupuncture needles results in an accumulation of adenosine that transiently reduces pain. If relief of pain is purely a resp
%K Electroacupuncture
%K Acu-point Efficacy
%K BPH
%K RCT
%U http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/12/1/211