Efficacy of floating needles in the treatment of postpartum urinary incontinence and pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: P < 0.001

• Effect Size: Risk ratio = 1.33 favouring floating needle therapy

• Primary Outcome: Treatment effectiveness for postpartum incontinence and pain

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Based on RR 1.33, approximately 3-4 patients need treatment for one additional success

• Confidence Interval: 95% CI = 1.18-1.50

Clinical Application

Low feasibility in Australian practice - floating needle technique not established, requires specialised training Not recognised by TGA as established therapy, unlikely to receive PBS funding, not included in RACGP guidelines for postpartum care Limited to postpartum women, primarily based on Chinese population data

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Postpartum pain and urinary incontinence (UI) are the most common postpartum sequelae, which can lead to postpartum anxiety and depression when severe, and seriously affect the quality of life of postpartum mothers. Floating needle (FN) is one of the Chinese medical treatments of the latest in recent years, and studies have shown that FN for postpartum pain and stress urinary incontinence has a positive effect; this study aimed to comprehensively and critically evaluate the available evidence on the effectiveness of FN in managing postpartum pain and UI, and provide the first evidence-based medical evidence for FN intervention for postpartum sequela. METHODS: Computerized retrieval of Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM) and English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) for randomized controlled trials on FN therapy for postpartum pain and UI was conducted up to December 20, 2023. Search terms included "floating needle," "urinary incontinence," and "labor pain." Data extraction and quality assessment were performed on eligible studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4, with mean differences (MDs) for continuous outcomes and risk ratios for dichotomous endpoints. RESULTS: A total of 1194 women were included in 8 articles in both Chinese and English, all of which were conducted in China; 6 of the articles were included in the meta-analysis. The FN is more effective in treating postpartum incontinence and pain than the control group (risk ratio = 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-1.5, P < .001), and significantly reduced the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form score (MD = 1.56, 95% CI = 0.78-2.35, P < .001); FN therapy can significantly reduce the amount of urine leakage in postpartum patients (MD = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.09-2.49, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that FN therapy could be encouraged as one of the routine treatments for postpartum sequelae.

References

1. 1.Han, D., Tang, M., Gong, S., Li, W., Liu, Z., & Liu, Z. (2026). Efficacy of floating needles in the treatment of postpartum urinary incontinence and pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 105(16), e48440. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000048440