Comparison of acupuncture and moxibustion related non-surgical therapies for women with stress urinary incontinence: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) significantly impacts women's health and imposes substantial mental and socio-economic burdens. Acupuncture and moxibustion, either alone or in combination with other non-surgical therapies, are recognized as effective treatments for SUI. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of various treatments for women with SUI using network meta-analysis (NMA). METHOD: We systematically searched databases up until June 30, 2022, to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on SUI in women. Subsequently, the quality of the included studies was assessed. NMA was performed using STATA 14.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 31 RCTs involving 2922 participants were included in the analysis. A total of 18 treatment plans were identified. The treatment plan consisting of Moxibustion + PFMT + EB demonstrated the most significant reduction in ICIQ-UI-SF. Due to lack of consistency across studies, a NMA was not performed for the outcomes of effectiveness and the 1 h pad test. CONCLUSIONS: The combined intervention of Moxibustion + PFMT + EB appears to be the most effective in reducing patients' reported symptoms and improving their quality of life. However, due to the limitations of the included studies, further high-quality RCTs are necessary to reinforce the current evidence.