Acupuncture for chronic prostatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BACKGROUND: Chronic prostatitis (CP) is a prevalent genitourinary condition. Considering its safety profile, acupuncture can be an option treating CP symptoms. The aim of this review is to undertake a systematic review to estimate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture on CP. METHODS: We will search all randomized controlled trials for CP in August 2018 in the databases of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, Springer, WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan fang, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PsycInfo, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and other available resources. Languages are limited as English and Chinese. Search terms used are will “acupuncture,” and “chronic prostatitis,” “non-bacterial prostatitis,” “abacterial prostatitis.” And duplicates will be screened. The primary outcomes consisted of improvement rate and pain relief evaluated by The National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) index. Secondary outcomes include the recurrence rate and side effects, such as pneumothorax, discomforts, and infection. RESULTS: This study will demonstrate an evidence-based review of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis. CONCLUSION: The study will provide clear evidence to assess the effectiveness and side effects of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: There is no requirement of ethical approval and it will be in print or disseminated by electronic copies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018088834.