Integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine for perimenopausal urinary incontinence combines the holistic regulatory concepts of TCM with the targeted therapeutic approaches of Western medicine, aiming to synergistically improve patients’incontinence symptoms and overall quality of life. Whilst effective, conventional Western therapies, such as pharmacotherapy and pelvic floor muscle training, can be limited by side effects (e.g., dry mouth from anticholinergics) and suboptimal long-term compliance. Conversely, the advantages of TCM interventions, including acupuncture and herbal formulations, have often been constrained by a reliance on subjective symptom scores, lacking robust objective metrics in efficacy evaluation. Quantitative urodynamic parameters, such as maximum cystometric capacity, detrusor pressure at end filling, abdominal leak point pressure and maximum urethral closure pressure, provide a critical and objective toolset for quantifying lower urinary tract function and therapeutic outcomes. In recent years, alongside the broadened clinical adoption of urodynamic studies, research has increasingly focused on evaluating the specific effects of combined therapies (e.g., acupuncture or herbal medicine integrated with pelvic floor rehabilitation or pharmacotherapy) on these objective parameters. This article reviews the clinical research progress in evaluating integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment for perimenopausal urinary incontinence, using urinary function parameters as the core assessment tool. Key findings, mechanistic insights and prevalent methodological limitations within the existing literature are synthesised. The review aims to provide a scientific reference to inform clinical decision-making and future research directions in treatment strategy selection for this prevalent condition.
A 2026 study studied this question.