Effectiveness of abdominal electroacupuncture therapy for poststroke constipation: a meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gastroenterology
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Poststroke constipation is a common complication affecting patient recovery and quality of life.
• Electroacupuncture (EA) is a potential therapeutic option, but robust evidence of its efficacy is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) in treating constipation in patients who have experienced a stroke.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across eight databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to January 31, 2023.
• Nine RCTs involving 601 participants were included in the meta-analysis.
• Risk ratios (RR) and mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess treatment effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Electroacupuncture significantly improved the total effective rate (RR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.27, 1.52) and cure rates (RR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.38, 2.54).
• Improvements were also observed in the constipation scoring system (MD = -2.51, 95% CI -3.05, -1.97) and quality of life (MD = -10.69, 95% CI -14.2, -7.17).
• No significant heterogeneity was found among the included RCTs.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence suggests that electroacupuncture may be a beneficial treatment for poststroke constipation.
• The quality of the findings is limited by the scarcity of comprehensive investigations, warranting further high-quality research.