Effect of acupressure on alleviating constipation among inpatients with stroke during the acute phase: A randomized controlled trial

Background and purpose: This study aimed to explore the effects of acupressure in alleviating constipation among inpatients with stroke in neurological departments. Material and methods: This was a two-arm, parallel, randomized, controlled trial conducted between September 2020 and August 2021. In total, 128 inpatients with stroke at the acute phase from neurological departments were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to either an acupressure group (ST25, CV12, and CV6) or a sham acupressure group for twice-daily therapy at 4 min per intervention for 7 days. The Bristol Stool Form Scale and Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS) were assessed at the beginning and completion of the study. A generalized estimating equation was used for data analyses. Results: The mean ages were 63.8 +/- 19.1 and 66.2 +/- 16.0 years, and the average National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were 7.2 +/- 5.6 and 8.1 +/- 6.3 points for the acupressure and sham acupressure groups, respectively. The acupressure group demonstrated gradually lower scores on the CAS over time than the sham acupressure group. Patients who received acupressure had a lower likelihood of requiring defecation medication and were more likely to have normal bowel movements and a decreased risk of their stool appearing as a hard lump than those who received sham acupressure over time. Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine-based acupressure can help alleviate constipation and reduce the use of defecation medication among inpatients with stroke who have been admitted to neurological departments. Trial and protocol registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05612646.