Integrative review shows acupuncture improves chronic pelvic pain in men, suggesting a viable alternative treatment.
Introduction Prostatitis is a typically painful condition that involves inflammation or infection of the prostate and the surrounding areas. Men who experience pain in the pelvic region for an extended period of time need to be vigilant. This condition is very characteristic of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome, a condition that can considerably affect an individual’s quality of life. Objective To describe the effect of acupuncture on chronic pelvic pain in men arising from prostatic pathologies. Methods Integrative literature review and execution were conducted by surveying the electronic databases PubMed and PEDro, using descriptors: “Acupuncture” and “Pelvic Pain.” Only randomized clinical trials were selected, chosen between the years 2008 and 2024. Results A total of 274 studies were found, but only thirteen studies were in accordance with the proposed objective of the current review. Heterogeneity was observed regarding exercise protocols and evaluation methods; however, the research demonstrated positive effects overall. Conclusion Acupuncture treatment can regulate peripheral nerves, inhibit pain conduction pathway signals, thereby producing an analgesic effect and improving pain perception and tolerance. However, new randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes and longer intervention periods are needed in future research to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome. Financing No conflict.
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Bonfim et al. (2026) studied this question.
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