Using electroacupuncture with optimized acupoint positioning to predict the efficacy of sacral neuromodulation of refractory overactive bladder: A case report

Rationale: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common disease in the female urinary system. Refractory OAB is an indication for sacral neuromodulation (SNM) therapy, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States. However, SNM does not alleviate the clinical symptoms in all refractory OAB cases. Patients are required to undergo an SNM stage 1 operation, a traumatic and costly procedure, to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the treatment. If the procedure is predicted to likely be ineffective, the patient has to bear the physical and economic losses. Here, we report a patient with a 3-year course of refractory urge urinary incontinence who was treated with electroacupuncture according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).