Abdominal electroacupuncture for post-stroke constipation: a randomized controlled trial

Objective To observe the effect of abdominal electroacupuncture (EA) on intestinal function in patients with constipation after stroke. Methods A total of 100 patients with post-stroke constipation were divided into an observation group and a control group by the random number table method, with 50 cases in each group. The control group was treated with oral lactulose, 10 mL each time, 3 times a day, for 2 consecutive weeks. The observation group was treated with additional abdominal EA at Tianshu (ST25), Fushe (SP13), and Daheng (SP15) on the basis of oral lactulose, 30 min for needle retention each time, once a day, for 2 consecutive weeks. The total effective rate after treatment, constipation symptom score, the score of patient assessment of constipation quality of life scale (PAC-QOL), serum motilin (MTL) level, and the score of mini-mental state examination (MMSE) were compared between the two groups. Results After 2 weeks of treatment, the total effective rate was 93.5% in the observation group and 76.1% in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P <0.05). The constipation symptom score, PAC-QOL score, MMSE score, and MTL level changed significantly after treatment in both groups ( P <0.05). After treatment, the constipation symptom score and PAC-QOL score in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while the MMSE score and MLT level were higher than those in the control group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant ( P <0.05). Conclusion On the basis of oral lactulose, EA at abdominal points can significantly improve the intestinal and cognitive function of stroke patients simultaneously.