Efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for secondary constipation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective Secondary constipation refers to constipation that occurs after certain diseases or medications, such as acute stroke or opioids, and the efficacy of electroacupuncture for secondary constipation is controversial. So, this study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for secondary constipation through a meta-analysis and systematic review. Method We retrieved articles from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases up to 28 February 2023. The study was screened strictly according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Revman5.4 was used for quality evaluation; grade rating was used for index evaluation, and stata15.0 was used for data consolidation analysis. Result Thirteen randomized controlled studies, involving a total of 1437 people (722 electroacupuncture and 715 control groups), were included in this review. Meta-analysis results indicated that electroacupuncture significantly improved constipation overall response (RR = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.11, 1.55, P < 0.001), reduced defecation straining score (MD = − 0.46, 95%CI: − 0.67, − 0.251, P < 0.001), increased weekly complete spontaneous bowel movements (MD = 0.41, 95%CI: 0.20, 0.63, P = 0.002), and increased in the weekly spontaneous bowel movements (MD = 0.80, 95%CI (0.49, 01.11), P < 0.001), and electroacupuncture had no effect on change stool consistency score compared (MD = − 0.03, 95%CI (− 0.38, 0.33), P = 0.88) and did not increase adverse events (RR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.18, 1.44, P = 0.20). Conclusion According to the current studies, the overall relief rate of patients with secondary constipation after electroacupuncture treatment was improved, the defecation pressure score was reduced, the weekly natural defecation was more complete, and adverse reactions were not increased. Electroacupuncture therefore shows potential for treating constipation, but more high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Acupuncture for constipation in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

“…[15] Previous studies have shown that acupuncture can improve gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms [16,17] and can effectively treat both primary and secondary constipation. [18] Studies have shown that acupuncture can improve PD-related motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms, quality of life, disease progression, reduce the occurrence of adverse events, and reduce the dose of anti-PD drugs. [19] However, some scholars have found that compared with conventional treatment, acupuncture did not have significant differences in the treatment of PD-related constipation.…”