Clinical Efficacy of Abdominal Massage Combined With Moxibustion for Treatment of Chronic Constipation in Elderly Patients

Abstract

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of abdominal massage combined with moxibustion in alleviating chronic constipation in elderly patients. Methods: A total of 74 elderly patients with constipation who visited Shijiazhuang People's Hospital between October 2022 and January 2024 were selected and randomly assigned into two groups: the abdominal massage + moxibustion (AM + M) group and the control group. The control group received usual bowel care (UBC), whereas the AM + M group received abdominal massage and moxibustion in addition to UBC, with five sessions per week for 4 weeks. Clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups following treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The total effective rate in the AM + M group (71.05%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (36.11%) (p < 0.05). Following treatment, both groups showed improvements in constipation symptoms (stool frequency and consistency), Constipation Severity Instrument (CSI) score, Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) score and levels of nitric oxide (NO) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), with greater improvements in the AM + M group (CSI: p < 0.001; PAC-QOL: p < 0.001; NO: p < 0.01; VIP: p < 0.01). Additionally, the level of substance P increased significantly in the AM + M group compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Four weeks of abdominal massage combined with moxibustion significantly improved stool characteristics, reduced defecation interval and duration, regulated intestinal neurotransmitter levels and enhanced quality of life in elderly patients with chronic constipation.