A Traditional Chinese Medicine Characteristic Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction: Acupuncture

Summary

This protocol introduced an effective method to improve erectile function and negative emotions in patients with erectile dysfunction by using an acupuncture technique to transdermally stimulate the characteristic acupoints of the patient's body.

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common disease of the male reproductive system, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients and their partners. The pathogenesis of ED is still unclear, and it is mainly related to the nervous system, vascular system, drugs, spirit, and psychology. Despite the availability of several ED treatments, including PDE5-Is, ICI therapy with vasoactive substances, vacuum erection devices, and prosthetic implants, the proportion of patients who do not respond or are dissatisfied with clinically available treatments remains high. Studies have found that acupuncture has a significant effect on ED, which can significantly improve erectile ability and erectile quality, and improve the satisfaction of ED patients and their spouses with sexual life. At the same time, because of its good compliance, small economic burden, and high safety advantages, it is gradually recognized by the majority of patients in clinical practice. This article is a clinical original study. This study elaborates on the methods and procedures of acupuncture for ED, including patient selection, material preparation, surgical procedures, postoperative care, and precautions. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach was also evaluated.This study proposes and evaluates a standardized operation protocol for acupuncture treatment of ED and assesses its clinical efficacy in order to visualize this theory of ethnic medicine and promote its effective inheritance.

Introduction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient to achieve satisfactory sexual behavior¹. Epidemiological surveys show that the incidence of ED is increasing year by year, and it is estimated that the global prevalence of ED will reach 322 million cases by 2025^2,3. As a common and frequent disease in adult men, ED not only affects men's physical and mental health, but also has a great impact on the quality of life of patients and their partners and family harmony, and is usually used as an early warning signal of cardiovascular diseases

Protocol

This study involved patients from the Urology/Andrology Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine (Ethics No. 2020KL-039). Patients were informed about the purpose and procedures of the study, and consent was obtained for the use of images and videos during the experiment.

NOTE: Before surgery, a patient assessment was performed. Coagulation function was examined in patients with possible coagulopathy. In this study, the diagnostic criteria for ED were formulated acco....

Results

This study describes the surgical method of acupuncture intervention in patients with erectile dysfunction. In this study, 30 eligible patients participated and completed the trial. The same diagnostic criteria were applied to all patients. The same acupuncture treatment was performed on all patients by the same investigator. The IIEF-5 score, SAS score, SDS score, and serum T content were evaluated before and after treatment (2 weeks later). The results of the study showed that IIEF-5 score, SAS score, SDS score, and se.......

Discussion

Normal erection is a neurovascular phenomenon controlled by psychological factors and coordinated by the endocrine, vascular, and nervous systems¹⁸. Penile erection is a complex physiological process involving a series of neurovascular activities such as arterial dilatation, smooth muscle relaxation, and venous occlusion. In addition, the process also depends on the balance of the endocrine environment, and if any of these links are disturbed, it may lead to the occurrence of ED^1.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Hand sanitizer	Shanghai Likang Disinfection high-tech Co. Ltd.	Huwei Xiao Zheng Zi (2003) No. 0001	/
iodophor	Chengdu Yongan Pharmaceutical Co.Ltd.	Chuan (Deyang) Wei Xiao Zheng Zi (2014) No. 008	/
Sterile cotton balls	Shandong Weigao Ruixin Medical Technology Co. Ltd.	Lu Drug supervision Machinery production Xu 201000031	/
Medical tweezers	Shandong Weigao Ruixin Medical Technology Co. Ltd.	Lu Drug supervision Machinery production Xu 201000031	/
Sterile acupuncture needles	Changchun AKang Medical Instrument Co. Ltd.	Ji Drug supervision machinery production Xu 20150075	/