Systemic acupuncture in patients with faecal incontinence

Faecal incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of intestinal contents (whether faeces or gas). Although it is not frequently reported, it does cause physical and psychological distress. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the healthy human body is originally in a state of balanced energy (Qi) between Yin and Yang, and all disorders that occur in the body are explained by disruptions in this energy balance. Acupuncture is a valuable therapy and is used as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. Data regarding faecal incontinence and acupuncture is scarce. This research describes the efficacy of using acupuncture in patients with faecal incontinence.

Eighteen adults (2 men and 16 women) underwent acupuncture therapy with traditional acupuncture needles for 10 weeks. Before and after treatment, all patients completed a Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life (FIQL) survey and the incontinence intensity was assessed using a visual analogue scale.

After 10 sessions of acupuncture, all patients reported an improvement, and the vast majority of patients showed statistically significant improvements in both tests.

Therefore, evidence now shows that acupuncture can improve the quality of life of patients undergoing faecal incontinence treatment.