Acupuncture safe and effective for severe functional constipation

Eight weeks of electroacupuncture, a technique where an electrical current is passed between a pair of acupuncture needles, is safe and effective for relieving chronic constipation. Results of a randomized controlled trial are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Chronic constipation occurs when a patient has no more than two complete bowel movements per week with hard stools, frequent straining, and the sensation of incomplete evacuation. Most chronic constipation is functional, which means that it is not caused by any physical illness, and is associated with decreased quality of life. Laxatives produce only temporary relief and nearly half of patients are dissatisfied with their traditional therapies. Research has supported the use of acupuncture for chronic constipation and electroacupuncture might have some sustained effects. However, the evidence for the therapeutic effects of acupuncture is limited.

Researchers randomly assigned 1,075 patients to 28 sessions of electroacupuncture at traditional acupoints or sham electroacupuncture at nonacupoints over 8 weeks. They found that the patients in the treatment group had increased complete spontaneous bowel movements during the 8 weeks of treatment and improved quality of life. These effects persisted throughout the 12-week follow-up. The researchers conclude that acupuncture could be a valuable new therapeutic option for patients with chronic severe functional constipation.

Article: Acupuncture for Chronic Severe Functional Constipation: A Randomized, Controlled Trial, Zhishun Liu, MD, PhD; Shiyan Yan, PhD; Jiani Wu, MD; Liyun He, MD, PhD; Ning Li, MD; Guirong Dong, MD; Jianqiao Fang, MD, PhD; Wenbin Fu, MD; Lixin Fu, MD, PhD; Jianhua Sun, MD, PhD; Linpeng Wang, MD; Shun Wang, MD; Jun Yang, MD; Hongxing Zhang, MD; Jianbin Zhang, MD, PhD; Jiping Zhao, MD; Wei Zhou, MD; Zhongyu Zhou, MD; Yanke Ai, PhD; Kehua Zhou, MD, DPT; Jia Liu, MD, PhD; Huanfang Xu, MD, PhD; Yuying Cai, MD, PhD; and Baoyan Liu, MD, Annals of Internal Medicine, doi:10.7326/M15-3118, published online 13 September 2016.