[Effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy for the treatment of refractory interstitial cystitis].

The efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment was examined on eight female patients with refractory interstitial cystitis (IC) who had been treated conservatively with hydrodistension, intravesical instillation of dimethyl sulfoxide, or oral medication. These patients had received hydrodistension on an average of 2.3±1.8 times. Moxa needles were applied to Ciliao in bladder meridian 32 and Xialiao in bladder meridian 34, and electroacupuncture was performed on Zhongliao in bladder meridian 33 at 3 Hz for 20 min once a week. The bladder condition was assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, the O'Leary-Sant Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index (ICSI), the Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index (ICPI), and the maximum voided volume (MVV). After 3 months, patients who showed a reduction of >2 in their VAS score, reduction of <30% of ICSI and ICPI, and increase of >100 ml MVV were considered responders. There were three responders, and after repeated therapy to maintain these effects, they no longer required hydrodistension. Two responders had no recurrence for 48 months or more. Acupuncture and moxibustion resulted in improvement in 38% of the patients (3/8) with refractory IC, and repeated therapy maintained the therapeutic effects. This therapy is traditional and relatively noninvasive. Although its precise mechanism of action is unclear, this study suggests that acupuncture and moxibustion treatment may be a complementary and alternative therapeutic option for refractory IC.