Acupuncture combined with biofeedback electrical stimulation for female stress urinary incontinence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1760125...

Published: 2026-01-22T00:00:00Z

This meta-analysis investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with biofeedback electrical stimulation in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. 33 randomized controlled trials with a total of 2,860 patients were included in the analysis. Compared with biofeedback stimulation alone, the combination treatment significantly reduced the number of urinary leakage episodes [SMD = -2.26, 95% CI (-3.42, -1.11)], the volume of urine leakage [SMD = -1.79, 95% CI (-2.7, -0.72)] and the ICIQ-SF score [MD = -2.00, 95% CI (-2.61, -2.61, -1.39)]. Moreover, it increased pelvic floor muscle strength [SMD = 0.99, 95% CI (0.32, 1.65)] and clinical efficacy [RR = 1.20, 95% CI (1.16, 1.25)]. Databases such as CNKI, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched until June 1, 2025, and the analysis was performed in the Stata 15 software. The combined treatment thus reduces the frequency and volume of urine leakage, improves the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and the quality of life of women.