Case report: Treating postpartum SUI with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), is the most common type of urinary incontinence affecting women. SUI has a significant impact on psychosocial functioning and quality of life. Biomedical treatments, such as surgery, often result in post-operative complications. In China, traditional Chinese medicine tends to be the treatment of choice for SUI. Case presentation: We present a 35-year-old patient who developed SUI following forceps delivery and was treated successfully with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Traditional Chinese diagnosis, including channel and acupoint palpation revealed the patient had a syndrome pattern of liver/kidney deficiency, disordered bladder qi transformation, all of which lead to enuresis. Acupuncture, both body and scalp needling, were performed. Herbs were prescribed adjunctively. Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine modalities may be considered for treatment of SUI based on appropriate syndrome pattern assessment