Moxibustion may effectively alleviate symptoms of overactive bladder: Study

In this study, researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea explored the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in treating overactive bladder (OAB). The results of their study were published in the journal Medicine.

• OAB refers to a group of urinary symptoms characterized by incontinence in the absence of urinary tract infection (UTI).
• For their study, the researchers designed a randomized, controlled, cross-over, assessor-blinded trial, which they conducted in an outpatient department of a university hospital. The study lasted for eight weeks.
• The researchers randomly assigned participants to two groups:
  • Group A: 14 participants underwent eight to 12 sessions of moxibustion with behavioral training during the first four weeks
  • Group B: 14 participants received only behavioral training during the first four weeks
• For the following month, the researchers reversed the treatment received by the two groups.
• They used the OAB-validated 8-question awareness tool (OAB-V8), OAB symptom scores (OABSS), visual analog scale (VAS) for lower urinary tract symptoms, and frequency voiding chart to assess outcomes.
• They also used effect size – measured as Hedge’s g – to present descriptive results indicating the actual difference between the groups.
• The researchers found that the Hedge’s g of OAB-V8, OABSS, and VAS for the first four weeks in Group A were ?0.248, ?1.531, and ?0.713, respectively.
• After the reversal the following month, the Hedge’s g of OAB-V8, OABSS, and VAS in Group B were 0.465, 1.207, and 0.427, respectively.
• Moxibustion also decreased the nocturnal voiding volume (g = ?0965) and the voiding frequency (g = ?0.498) but increased the mean voiding volume (g = 0.690).

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that moxibustion has the potential to be an alternative treatment for OAB.

Read the full study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Lee H-Y, Yun YJ, Choi JY, Hong JW, Lee I, Park SH, Kwon JN. EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY OF MOXIBUSTION FOR ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF OVERACTIVE BLADDER: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED, CROSSOVER-DESIGN, PILOT STUDY. Medicine. August 2018;97(34). DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000012016