The Effectiveness of Electroacupuncture for Functional Constipation: A Randomized, Controlled, Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to treat functional constipation (FC). The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of EA with different needle insertion method for FC. Methods. Sixty-seven participants were randomly assigned to control (EA with shallow puncture) and EA (with deep puncture) groups. Every patient received 5 treatments per week in the first two weeks, then 3 treatments per week during the following six weeks. Complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBM), spontaneous bowel movements (SBM), Bristol stool scores (BSS), and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) were assessed. Results. Both shallow and deep EA significantly increased CSBM frequency compared to the baseline. CSBM was increased from 0.50 ± 0.59/wk to 2.00 ± 1.67/wk with deep EA and from 0.48 ± 0.59/wk to 1.33 ± 1.09/wk with shallow EA (P < 0.05, resp.). Similar finding was noted in SBM. Deep EA was more potent than shallow EA (P < 0.05) during the treatment period. No difference was found on BSS and PAC-QOL between two groups. Conclusion. It is effective and safe with EA to treat FC. Studies with large sample size and long-term observation are needed for further investigation.

Effects of 28-day Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis HN019 supplementation on colonic transit time and gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with functional constipation: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, and dose-ranging trial

“…However, our population was less constipated, according to the complete bowel emptying, abdominal pain, and bloating scores. Studies that included subjects according to Rome III criteria for functional constipation have had lower baseline values for complete bowel emptying 34 , 41 , 42 , 45-47 and higher baseline scores for abdominal pain 30 , 35 , 41 , 46 , 48 and bloating 30 , 41 , 48 versus our trial.…”

Normative Values for Colonic Transit Time and Patient Assessment of Constipation in Adults With Functional Constipation: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

“…In 12 studies with 1805 patients, 14 , 16 , 17 , 21 , 22 , 24 - 26 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 36 pooled PAC-QOL was 1.97 (95% CI: 1.70-2.24) ( Figure 5 ). Publication bias was not evident (Egger P = .28).…”

“…After screening 426 records for eligibility, 24 studies representing 3786 unique patients were included in the meta-analysis. 5 , 14 - 36 The most common reasons for study exclusion were attributable to absence of main outcome reporting or Rome III FC diagnosis. A flow diagram of study identification and selection is shown in Figure 1 .…”

Electroacupuncture for Functional Constipation: A Multicenter, Randomized, Control Trial

“…LI11 and ST37 are the common used acupoints for functional gastrointestinal motility disorders [ 14 , 17 , 29 – 31 ]. In this study, acupoints of bilateral LI11 (Quchi, located at the midpoint between the lateral end of the transverse cubical crease and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus) and ST37 (Shangjuxu, located 6 cun below the lateral depression between the patellar and patellar ligament, one finger width lateral to the anterior crest of the tibia) were used.…”

“…Studies use ST37 (Shangjuxu) combined with LI11 (Quchi) for functional constipation patients are infrequent. Different stimulation frequencies are used in these studies, including 2 Hz/200 Hz [ 15 ], 2 Hz/100 Hz [ 16 ], 2 Hz/15 Hz [ 17 , 18 ], 2 Hz/10 Hz [ 19 ], and 10 Hz/50 Hz [ 20 ]. The frequency of 2/50 Hz is rarely used.…”