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Abstract

[Introduction] This case report concerns the observed effects of manual and electrical acupuncture at Zhongliao (BL-33) and the pudendal nerve point (PN) in a sildenafil non-responder with erectile dysfunction (ED) secondary to diabetes.
[Case] This 61-year-old man had suffered from ED in the 2 years since his diagnosis with type II diabetes. Initially, sildenafil citrate, which is a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, effectively treated his ED. However, the patient’s response to this medication deteriorated over time, until he was no longer able to achieve an erection, despite treatment. The patient presented at a university clinic for acupuncture treatment.
[Results] Manual acupuncture at BL-33 induced beneficial effects that were sustained throughout the course of acupuncture treatment. Electro-acupuncture to the PN was performed, with the patient subsequently reporting increased erection hardness and sustainability in comparison to the results achieved with the use of BL-33 acupuncture. The patient’s answers to a Japanese translation of the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF5) questionnaire showed that acupuncture treatment had markedly improved the patient’s signs and symptoms since presentation at the first medical examination. In contrast, his glycemic control was unfavourable, because there was no significant change in the patient’s HbA1c throughout the acupuncture treatment until the last day from the first medical examination.
[Conclusion] Sildenafil non-responder ED patient with DM was dramatically improved by acupuncture, regardless of whether HbA1c was much higher. It seems likely that the reported beneficial effects in this case of ED are due to the acupuncture treatment administered. Additional cases should be studied.