At our Acupuncture clinic on the Gold Coast, we see an array of patients with varying conditions and for men over 50, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common prostate problem.

BPH is an enlarged prostate gland (non-cancerous) that squeezes the urethra as it gets bigger. This can be extremely painful and may also cause excessive urination at night, urge to urinate, sexual dysfunction and a weakened urinary system. This can often lead to infections, bladder stones and/or reduced kidney function.

In a recent systematic review & meta-analysis of over 600 men, acupuncture, when compared to sham acupuncture, significantly improved symptoms in a short-term period of 4-6 weeks.

Acupuncture uses fine needles into specific points to down regulate the pain receptors, whilst assisting to rebalance qi. Moxibustion, acupressure and Chinese herbal medicine may also be incorporated into your treatment plan.

What else can you do?

  • Aerobic exercise (this has been seen to reduce risk and also assist with some symptoms)
  • Caffeinated drinks and alcohol both stimulate the kidneys to produce urine, so best avoided at night to reduce night time urination
  • Increase vegetables, whole grains and good fats (olive & coconut oils, avocados & raw nuts)
  • Tension and stress can lead to excessive urination, so techniques such as meditation, tai chi or yoga may be beneficial
  • Take your time to empty your bladder completely, when you feel you are done, wait a few seconds and try again (double voiding).

If you would like any more information, please don’t hesitate to book a consult with one of our practitioners. You can book online here, or call us on 5531 6461.

Reference:

Lee, H. W., Kim, S. A., Nam, J. W., Kim, M. K., Choi, B. Y., & Moon, H. S. (2014). The Study About Physical Activity for Subjects With Prevention of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. International Neurourology Journal, 18(3), 155–162. http://doi.org/10.5213/inj.2014.18.3.155

McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review (Revised edition). Brisbane: Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd; 2017. http://www.acupuncture.org.au.

Zhang, W., Ma, L., Bauer, B. A., Liu, Z., & Lu, Y. (2017). Acupuncture for benign prostatic hyperplasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Plos One, 12(4), e0174586. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174586