Interferential electrical stimulation reduces constipation symptoms in women
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Transabdominal interferential electrical stimulation effectively reduced constipation in adult women, reduced symptom severity, increased spontaneous defecation and decreased laxative use, according to a study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
“This pilot study provides good evidence that transabdominal interferential therapy improves bowel symptoms in chronically constipated women,” Judith S. Moore, MSc, RN, PhD, from the department of gastroenterology at Monash University and Alfred Health, and colleagues wrote. “More than half the women in the [interferential (IFT)] group, compared to one in eight in the control group had an improvement in the primary end-point of more than three spontaneous bowel movements a week at the end of 6 weeks of therapy. This was also maintained 3 months after cessation.”
Moore and colleagues conducted a single-blind, randomized study of women aged 18 years or older with refractory constipation. They assigned 17 women to interreferential stimulation with crossing of electric currents and 16 women to a novel sham stimulation with no crossing of currents for 1 hour a day for 6 weeks. The number of patients with three or more spontaneous bowel movements per week served as the primary outcome. Other outcomes included change in Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM), Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL), and an overall symptom severity score that investigators measured at baseline, mid-time point of stimulation, end of treatment and 3 months after cessation of treatment.
Results showed nine women in the interferential group met the primary outcome compared with two women in the sham therapy group (P = .02). Researchers saw reductions in PAC-SYM (P = .03) and overall symptom scores (P = .05) with interferential therapy. Laxative use decreased by more than half in 66% of women in the interferential therapy group vs. 14% in the sham therapy group (P = .01).
“Stool type as determined by the Bristol Stool Scale was reported to be in the normal to loose range in the majority of participants, all but [seven] being on a laxative regimen,” the researchers wrote. “While we could not capture change in stool type as a result, the reduction in laxative use was significant.”
At 3 months, data showed significant improvements in symptoms were maintained. Further, investigators did not note any treatment-related adverse events.
“There was a trend for improvement in complete spontaneous bowel motions, but it is likely this endpoint was underpowered to show statistical significance,” Moore and colleagues wrote. “Other, but not all, measures associated with constipation including perceived severity of bowel symptoms as in the PAC-SYM, the constipation severity VAS score and laxative use were also significantly improved in the interferential therapy group, suggesting that the benefits were real.” – by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosure: Moore reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts