Electro-Acupuncture for Bladder Pain Syndrome: A Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial and Study for Central Mechanism

Figures & data

Table 1 The Schedule of Enrollment, Interventions, and Assessments

Time Point	Study Period
	Enrolment and Baseline	4 Weeks ± 3	8 Weeks ± 3
ENROLMENT
Eligibility screen	○
Inclusion criteria	○
Exclusion criteria	○
Informed consent	○
Demographic data	○
Case data	○
Laboratory examination	○
(1) Routine blood test	○
(2) Biochemical test	○
(3) Routine urine test	○
Randomization	○
Allocation	○
INTERVENTION
Medication Group	○	○
EA Group	○	○
SA Group	○	○
OUTCOME ASSESSMENT
(1) Visual analog scale	○	○	○
(2) O’Leary-Sant questionnaire	○	○	○
(3) 24-hour voiding diary	○	○	○
(4) Hamilton Anxiety Scale	○	○	○
(5) Hamilton Depression Scale	○	○	○
(6) fMRI	○	○
Adverse events		○	○
Safety assessment		○	○

Figure 1 Flow chart of the study process.

Table 2 Location and Indication of Acupoints for Treating BPS

Acupoints	Location	Indication
Sanyinjiao (SP6)	On the medial aspect of the lower leg, 3 cun above the medial maleolus, on the posterior border of the medial aspect of the tibia.	For Yin deficiency of liver and kidney
Shenshu (BL23)	On the back, level with the lower border of the spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral to the posterior midline.	For pain sites that mainly distributed in the bladder meridian of foot-taiyang
Ciliao (BL32)	In the region of the sacrum, medial and inferior to the posterior superior iliac spine, in the 2nd sacral foramen.	For pain sites that mainly distributed in the bladder meridian of foot-taiyang
Zhongliao (BL33)	In the region of the sacrum, medial and inferior to UB32, in the 3rd sacral foramen.	For pain sites that mainly distributed in the bladder meridian of foot-taiyang
Zhibian (BL54)	On the back, 3.0 cun lateral to the posterior midline, level with the 4th sacral foramen	For pain sites that mainly distributed in the bladder meridian of foot-taiyang

Figure 2 Locations of acupoints and non-acupoints in waist and lower limb region. The black nodes represent acupoints. The red nodes represent non-acupoints. The abbreviations and corresponding acupoints are connected by virtual lines.