Abdominal massage as an adjunctive therapy for pediatric functional constipation: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

• Chronic functional constipation impacts 3% of children globally, causing pain and incontinence.
• Abdominal massage may enhance gut motility via vagal stimulation and muscle relaxation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess abdominal massage as an adjunct therapy for pediatric chronic functional constipation.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 61 children (ages 4-10) with functional constipation.
• Intervention group received 12 sessions of Swedish abdominal massage plus standard drug therapy.
• Control group received standard drug therapy alone.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed significantly reduced constipation severity (Constipation Assessment Scale scores) and fewer days of fecal incontinence weekly.
• While both groups improved stool consistency, the difference was not statistically significant between groups.

Conclusions:

• Abdominal massage therapy is an effective adjunct to standard pharmacological treatment for pediatric constipation symptoms.
• Larger, multicenter trials are recommended to validate these findings.