| Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture combined with low-frequency electrical stimulation for postpartum urinary retention (PUR). Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted among PUR patients treated in the Postpartum Rehabilitation Department of Anhui Women and Children’s Medical Center from July 2024 to September 2025. After excluding dropouts and incomplete cases, patients were randomly assigned to 4 groups: control group (n=68), acupuncture group (n=69), electrical stimulation group (n=68), and combined treatment group (n=69). All groups received routine induced urination therapy. In addition, the control group received neostigmine, the acupuncture group received acupuncture, the electrical stimulation group received low-frequency electrical stimulation, and the combined group received acupuncture plus low-frequency electrical stimulation. The treatment course lasted 3 days. Residual urine volume (RUV), urination outcomes, urethral pain scores, urodynamic parameters, and clinical efficacy were compared before and after treatment. Results: Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in RUV, urethral pain score, bladder pressure during urine storage, and urethral distribution pressure among the four groups. After treatment, the RUV of all four groups was lower than that before treatment (all P<0.01). The RUV of the combined group was lower than that of the other three groups (all P<0.05), the RUV of the electrical stimulation group was lower than that of the acupuncture group and the control group(all P<0.05), and the RUV of the acupuncture group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). The first micturition time of the combined group was shorter than that of the other three groups (all P<0.05), and the first urine volume in the combined group was greater than that of the other three groups (all P<0.05). The first micturition time of the electrical stimulation group was shorter than that of the control group and the acupuncture group (all P<0.05), and the first urine volume was greater than that of the control group and the acupuncture group (all P<0.05). The urethral pain score of all four groups decreased compared with that before treatment (all P<0.01), and the score of the combined group was lower than that of the control group and the acupuncture group (all P<0.05). Bladder pressure during urine storage in all four groups was lower than that before treatment (all P<0.01), and the pressure in the combined group and the acupuncture group was lower than that in the control group and the electrical stimulation group (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in urethral distribution pressure during urine storage among groups. The maximum urine flow rate of the combined group was higher than that of the other three groups (all P<0.05), and that of the electrical stimulation group was higher than that of the control group and the acupuncture group (P<0.05). The treatment effective rates of the combined group and the electrical stimulation group were higher than that of the control group (all P<0.05).Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with low-frequency electrical stimulation effectively improves bladder emptying, urination outcomes, and some urodynamic parameters in PUR patients. It is superior to conventional drug therapy and may reduce systemic drug exposure during lactation, making it a safe and effective comprehensive intervention for PUR. |
