procedure for embedding absorbable catgut into patients' acupoints for chronic pelvic pain treatment

Acupoint Catgut Embedding for Chronic Pelvic Pain Management

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) refers to pelvic pain that persists for over 6 months, is non-periodic, and is unresponsive to non-opioid drugs. The latest research shows that the global incidence rate of CPP is ~5%-26%1. Sequential pelvic inflammatory disease (SPID) is one of the main conditions causing CPP, accounting for 23%-30% of all cases of chronic pelvic pain in females2. Due to the limited efficacy of existing analgesics in alleviating this pain, over 50% of CPP patients may seek non-pharmacological treatment3. Currently, the main non-pharmacological treatments include pelvic floor physical therapy, psychological therapy, neuroregulation, and dietotherapy. However, they also have limitations, such as suboptimal pain relief and difficulties in achieving long-term control. Most SPID women with CPP experience anxiety, depression, and decreased quality of life due to recurrent pain4. Therefore, finding an effective treatment method that can alleviate patients' pain symptoms has become a pressing clinical concern.
Acupuncture and moxibustion, two of the main external therapeutic methods in traditional Chinese medicine, have shown good efficacy in treating pain-related conditions and have been widely used in clinical practice, especially in the relief of chronic pain, where their effectiveness surpasses other non-pharmacological treatments for CPP5,6. In a cross-sectional study on the treatment of CPP with traditional Chinese medicine, 7.63% of chronic pain patients were chosen to receive acupuncture and moxibustion treatment, resulting in excellent therapeutic outcomes7. The acupoint catgut embedding introduced in this article is an extension and development of acupuncture and moxibustion. It refers to a traditional Chinese medicine external treatment technique that uses specially designed disposable medical devices to implant absorbable catgut into corresponding acupoints, providing prolonged and continuous acupoint stimulation to achieve analgesic effect. The author's team has employed this technology to treat recurrent and incurable pelvic pain in women caused by SPID, yielding positive outcomes. It can be utilized either as a standalone treatment or as an important component of a comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine treatment plan or a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. This article takes the most common traditional Chinese medicine syndrome (dampness heat stasis type) patients with SPID as an example to provide a detailed demonstration of the procedures for acupoint catgut embedding.

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Women's Chronic Pelvic Pain Management Through Acupoint Catgut Embedding

Acupoint Catgut Embedding for Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain Due to the Sequelae of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Our research focuses on developing effective treatments for chronic pelvic pain due to the sequelae of pelvic inflammatory disease. Our study found that acupuncture point can improve patients'clinical symptoms and quality of life. Compared to existing Western medicine treatment methods, acupoint catgut embedding offers advantages such as a good analgesic effect, lower recurrence rate, economic benefits, and a relatively straightforward procedure.We will focus on the efficacy of external Chinese medicine for the relief of chronic pelvic pain in women and the developments of treatments protocols.

Procedure for Embedding Absorbable Catgut into Patients' Acupoints for Chronic Pelvic Pain Treatment

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

Chronic pelvic pain caused by the sequelae of inflammatory pelvic disease is a common clinical condition of pelvic pain in women. At present, the main ...