Meta-analysis shows floating needle therapy improves postpartum pain and incontinence outcomes in China.
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Key Takeaway
Note floating needle therapy showed efficacy for postpartum pain and incontinence in a Chinese meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the efficacy of floating needle (FN) therapy for postpartum pain and urinary incontinence among 1194 women in China. The study compared FN therapy against a control group to assess improvements in postpartum sequelae. The authors note that specific adverse events, serious adverse events, and discontinuations were not reported in the source data.
Key findings indicated that FN therapy was more effective than the control group for postpartum incontinence and pain, with a risk ratio of 1.33 (95% CI = 1.18-1.5, P < .001). Additionally, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form score was significantly reduced (MD = 1.56; 95% CI = 0.78-2.35, P < .001), and the amount of urine leakage was significantly reduced (MD = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.09-2.49, P < .001).
The authors acknowledge that follow-up duration was not reported and that absolute numbers for outcomes were not provided. No limitations were explicitly listed by the authors, and funding or conflicts of interest were not reported. The practice relevance suggests FN therapy could be encouraged as one of the routine treatments for postpartum sequelae, though the evidence relies on a single meta-analysis without detailed safety profiles.
View Original Abstract ↓
BACKGROUND: Postpartum pain and urinary incontinence (UI) are the most common postpartum sequelae, which can lead to postpartum anxiety and depression when severe, and seriously affect the quality of life of postpartum mothers. Floating needle (FN) is one of the Chinese medical treatments of the latest in recent years, and studies have shown that FN for postpartum pain and stress urinary incontinence has a positive effect; this study aimed to comprehensively and critically evaluate the available evidence on the effectiveness of FN in managing postpartum pain and UI, and provide the first evidence-based medical evidence for FN intervention for postpartum sequela.
METHODS: Computerized retrieval of Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM) and English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) for randomized controlled trials on FN therapy for postpartum pain and UI was conducted up to December 20, 2023. Search terms included "floating needle," "urinary incontinence," and "labor pain." Data extraction and quality assessment were performed on eligible studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4, with mean differences (MDs) for continuous outcomes and risk ratios for dichotomous endpoints.
RESULTS: A total of 1194 women were included in 8 articles in both Chinese and English, all of which were conducted in China; 6 of the articles were included in the meta-analysis. The FN is more effective in treating postpartum incontinence and pain than the control group (risk ratio = 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-1.5, P < .001), and significantly reduced the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form score (MD = 1.56, 95% CI = 0.78-2.35, P < .001); FN therapy can significantly reduce the amount of urine leakage in postpartum patients (MD = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.09-2.49, P < .001).
CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that FN therapy could be encouraged as one of the routine treatments for postpartum sequelae.
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