Effect of acupuncture for constipation after ischemic stroke: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gastroenterology
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Post-stroke constipation significantly impacts patient recovery and quality of life.
• Current treatments for constipation post-stroke have varying efficacy.
• Acupuncture is being explored as a potential therapeutic option.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the preliminary efficacy and safety of acupuncture for managing constipation in patients following an ischemic stroke.
• To gather data for future large-scale randomized controlled trials.

Main Methods:

• Prospective randomized controlled pilot trial with 120 participants.
• Three groups: acupuncture + routine care, medication (mosapride citrate) + routine care, and routine care only.
• Intervention duration of 4 weeks with an additional 4-week follow-up period.
• Primary outcome: change in weekly complete spontaneous bowel movements.

Main Results:

• Preliminary data on acupuncture's effect on spontaneous bowel movements, stool consistency, and straining will be collected.
• Safety and tolerability of acupuncture will be assessed through adverse event recording.
• Data will inform sample size calculations for future studies.

Conclusions:

• This study will provide initial evidence regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for post-ischemic stroke constipation.
• Findings will guide the design of more extensive randomized controlled trials.