EFFECT OF VISCERAL MANIPULATION ON CHILDREN WITH REFRACTORY CHRONIC FUNCTIONAL CONSTIPATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Manual Therapy
• Clinical Trial Research

Background:

• Functional constipation (FC) is a prevalent global health issue affecting children.
• Refractory FC cases often require alternative therapeutic strategies beyond standard medical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of visceral manipulation (VM) as an adjunct therapy for pediatric chronic functional constipation (FC).
• To evaluate VM's impact on children with FC refractory to standard treatments.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, single-blind controlled trial involving 52 children with refractory FC.
• Participants received either standard medical care (SMC) or SMC plus VM for 4 weeks.
• Outcomes included abdominal pain, defecation pain, stool consistency, frequency, and laxative dose.

Main Results:

• The VM group showed significant improvements in pain, defecation, and stool consistency compared to controls.
• Oral laxative dosage significantly decreased in the VM group but not in the control group.
• While overall Bristol stool form scale scores didn't differ significantly between groups, normal stool consistency increased in the VM group.

Conclusions:

• Visceral manipulation (VM) is a safe and effective complementary treatment for managing chronic functional constipation (FC) in children.
• VM, alongside standard medical care, offers a promising therapeutic option with no reported side effects.
• Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects of VM in pediatric FC management.