Observation on the Efficacy of Electroacupuncture for Functional Constipation

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic rule of electroacupuncture (EA) in treating functional constipation. METHODS: Eighty-eight patients with severe chronic functional constipation were randomized divided into EA (n=45) and sham-EA (n=43) groups. Patients in the EA group were treated with EA at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Fujie (SP 14), Shangjuxu (ST 37), and those in the sham-EA group were received superficial acupuncture at 1 cun lateral to the identical acupoints without electrical current delivery. The number of patients with complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBM) was weekly compared between the EA and sham-EA groups at baseline week, during 8 weeks' treatment, as well as the follow-up 4th, 8th and 12th weeks after treatment. The Bristol Stool Chart (BSC) and defecation difficulty scores were also weekly compared from baseline until 8 weeks. RESULTS: The CSBM showed significant differences from 3 to 8 weeks and at 4th, 8th and 12th weeks post-treatment (P<0.05), but not within the first two weeks between the EA and sham-EA groups. The number of patients who had more than 3 times of CSBM per week was increased in the EA group(P<0.05). The therapeutic effect of EA group was superior to that of the sham-EA group in improving BSC over the 4th and 5th weeks (P<0.05). The defecation difficulty score was improved in the EA group than in the sham-EA group since the 4th week (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EA shows therapeutic effect for functional constipation by improving CSBM and BSC.