Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Postpartum Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

Postpartum urinary incontinence is a common pelvic floor dysfunction disease after childbirth, which seriously affects patients’ quality of life and physical and mental health. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has unique advantages and significant efficacy in the treatment of postpartum urinary incontinence. This article reviews the literature on TCM therapies for postpartum urinary incontinence from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang Data from 2013 to 2025, summarizing the application and research progress of Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion and comprehensive therapies in the treatment of postpartum urinary incontinence. The results show that TCM therapies can effectively improve pelvic floor muscle function and reduce urinary incontinence symptoms through holistic regulation and syndrome differentiation treatment, with few side effects and high patient acceptance. Future research should further conduct large-sample, multi-center clinical studies to deeply explore the mechanism of TCM in treating postpartum urinary incontinence, providing more sufficient scientific basis for clinical promotion and application.