Moxibustion as an Adjuvant for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: a Pilot Study

A Pilot Study on Effectiveness and Safety of Moxibustion for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia With Lower Urinary Tract Syndrome

This study aims to explore the feasibility of moxibustion as a supplementary intervention and to assess the sample size for verifying the effectiveness and safety of integrative treatment involving moxibustion compared with conventional treatment for patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) accompanying moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Patients who diagnosed as BPH with moderate to severe LUTS aged 20 to 80 years old will be divided into two groups, one is moxibustion plus conventional therapy group and the other is conventional therapy group.

Patients who belong to moxibustion plus conventional therapy group will be treated moxibustion for eight times by a Korean Medicine doctor with conventional therapy by a urologist.

Patients who belong to conventional therapy group will be treated with conventional therapy only, and they can receive moxibustion therapy after the clinical trial is finished.

IPSS, post void residual volume (PVR) and peak urine flow (Qmax) will be checked to evaluate the effectiveness and safety.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male patients aged 20-80 years diagnosed with BPH with a prostate size over 20 gm
2. greater than or equal to eight score on IPSS
3. submit written consent
4. who can understand and answer IPSS.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. prostate or bladder malignancy
2. received herbal medication for lower urinary tract symptoms within 1 week
3. history of brain disease could cause urinary difficulty
4. having problems on answering IPSS due to cognitive impairment.
5. signs of acute urinary tract infection
6. Diabetic mellitus
7. Neurogenic bladder