BACKGROUND: Cumulative evidences indicate that acupuncture may ameliorate the symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). However, the long-lasting effects of acupuncture on CP/CPPS has not been fully evaluated. The objective of this study is to assess the sustained effects of acupuncture on CP/CPPS. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases for studies on the use of acupuncture in patients with CP/CPPS. Studies with long-term follow-up periods were included. Single-arm meta-analyses were performed using random-effects model. The primary outcome was the response rate at the end of follow-up period; the secondary outcomes were changes of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) scores at the end of follow-up, including total score and 3 sub-scores (pain, urinary, and quality of life). RESULTS: Six studies with 310 patients were performed in data synthesis, among which four studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT) and two were case series studies. At the end of follow-up, the weighted "average" response rate was 68.4% (95% CI 42.1% to 89.5%, n = 226; I2 = 93.5%); the change of NIH-CPSI total score were -14.8 (95% CI -17.0 to -12.6, n = 310; I2 = 92.1%); the change of pain, urinary, and quality of life sub-scores were -6.0 (95% CI -6.9 to -5.2, n = 266; I2 = 83.6%), -2.6 (95% CI -3.2 to -2.0, n = 266; I2 = 87.9%), and -4.4 (95% CI -6.2 to -2.6, n = 266; I2 = 98.7%), respectively. The source of heterogeneity could not be identified owing to insufficient studies. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may have clinically long-lasting benefits for CP/CPPS. However, current evidence is limited owing to insufficient data and significant heterogeneity. Further studies with larger sample size and long-term follow-up periods are warranted.

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