Assessment of the Therapeutic Efficacy of Acupuncture in Treating Postpartum Urinary Retention: A Comprehensive Approach Integrating Systematic Review and Association Rule Analysis

Objective: To investigate how acupuncture alleviates Postpartum Urinary Retention (PUR) by identifying key acupoints and biological mechanisms, we combine the implementation of association rule mining and running a systematic review. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted, and association rule mining was performed with IBM SPSS Modeler 25.0. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using UniProt-standardized gene targets. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses elucidated underlying mechanisms. This study utilized a single-center clinical trial carried out at Anhui Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, spanning from January 2019 to January 2025. It involved a comparative analysis between two cohorts: the intervention group, which received acupuncture combined with conventional care, and the control group, which underwent placebo acupuncture alongside standard care.Time to first urination, residual urine volume, catheterization rate/duration, symptoms, postpartum hemorrhage, infections, quality of life score, anxiety/depression level score, and adverse events are monitored to determine whether they impact. Results: Association rule mining identified four key acupoints (Sanyinjiao SP6, Zhongji CV3, Zusanli ST36, Yinlingquan SP9), with ST36, SP9, and SP6 strongly linked to genes such as TP53, ERBB2, CTNNB1, and CGFR. Acupuncture regulates functions via PI3K-Akt, FoxO, and ErbB pathways. The treatment group showed significantly better outcomes in all measured parameters except adverse events. Conclusion: Acupuncture effectively reduces the PUR incidences through precise acupoint targeting, minimizing trauma, and enhancing postpartum care.