World J Urol. 2003 Jun; 21(2): 109-13.

Herbal and complementary medicine in chronic prostatitis.

Shoskes DA, Manickam K.

Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic Florida, 2950 Cleveland Clinic Boulevard, Weston, FL 33331, USA. dshoskes@mac.com

Chronic prostatitis is a very common and poorly understood condition with significant impact on quality of life. The etiology of prostatitis can be multifactorial and can present with a variety of symptoms. Given the lack of proven efficacy of conventional therapies such as antibiotics, many patients have turned to phytotherapy and other alternative treatments. This review will cover the alternative therapies commonly used in prostatitis with an emphasis on those with published data. These treatments include phytotherapy (quercetin, bee pollen) and physical therapy. Complementary therapies have shown the potential to help men with prostatitis, particularly when allopathic therapies have failed.