Pilot Study On The Efficacy Of Electroacupuncture At Quchi(LI11) And Shangjuxu (ST37) For Functional Constipation

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of electroacupuncture at quchi (LI11) and shangjuxu(ST37) for the treatment of functional constipation.Methods:54patients who suffered functional constipation (Rome III criteria) wererandomly assigned to electroacupuncture treatment group (37cases) and control group (17cases) in a2:1ratio. In electroacupuncture group, patients were treated withelectroacupuncture at quchi (LI11) and shangjuxu (ST37) bilaterally for4weeks,5timesper week in the first two weeks and3times per week in the last two weeks. In controlgroup,5mg mosapride citrate was administered orally3times per day for4weekscontinuously. All patients in this study underwent a9-week observation, including an1-week run-in, an4-week treatment phase, and an4-week follow-up. Stool frequency perday, stool consistency according to the Bristol Stool Scale, and difficult degree ofdefecation were recorded using a constipation diary. Patient Assessment of ConstipationQuality of Life (PAC-QOL) was evaluated pre-treatment (baseline), during treatment (after2and4weeks treatment) and post-treatment. The primary outcome is stool frequency perweek. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of normal stools per week, thepercentage of difficult defecation per week and PAC-QOL score.Result: Compared with baseline, there were statistically significant improvements in stoolfrequency per week, the percentage of normal stools per week, the percentage of difficult defecation per week, the overall PAC-QOL score and all subscales in electroacupuncturetreatment group during treatment and follow-up. All above outcomes showed nostatistically significant differences between electroacupuncture treatment and controlgroups.Conclusion: Electroacupuncture at quchi (LI11) and shangjuxu (ST37) has been shown tobe an effective treatment in patients with functional constipation. It can increase stoolfrequency, improve stool consistency, relieve difficult defecation and improveconstipation-related QOL. Based on available evidence, there is no difference betweenelectroacupuncture and mosapride for the treatment of functional constipation.