Clinical evaluation of Soothing Gan and invigorating Pi acupuncture treatment on diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To explore the effect of Soothing Gan and invigorating Pi (SGIP) acupuncture treatment on the clinical symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).

METHODS:

With a single-blinded randomized control study adopted, 63 patients who met the inclusion criteria were assigned by a random number table to two groups, 31 in the treatment group and 32 in the drug control group. The treatment group received SGIP acupuncture therapy; while the control group was treated orally with pinaverium bromide. The treatment duration of both groups was 28 days. The clinical efficacy was evaluated and compared by scoring patient's symptom and QOL.

RESULTS:

A significant difference was found by variance analysis in efficacies between the two groups (P<0.01), shown as the quicker initiation of effect (P<0.05) and the more evident clinical improvement in symptoms along the increase in treatment duration, as well as the more significant elevation of QOL in the acupuncture treatment group (P<0.01). SGIP displayed its superiority especially in improving dysphoria, conflict behavior, dietary restrictions, and social responses.

CONCLUSION:

SGIP acupuncture treatment could effectively alleviate the degree and frequency of symptoms' attack in IBS-D patients, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal distension, etc., markedly relieve the tenesmic sensation, with the efficacy better than that of pinaverium bromide, showing a preponderance in improving patient's QOL.

• Authors: Jian-hua Sun, Xiao-liang Wu, Chen Xia, Lu-zhou Xu, Li-xia Pei, Hao Li, Guang-Yan Han
• Journal: Chinese journal of integrative medicine (Chin J Integr Med) Vol. 17 Issue 10 Pg. 780-5 (Oct 2011) ISSN: 1672-0415 [Print] China
• PMID: 22101701 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Acupuncture Therapy (adverse effects, methods)
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Diarrhea (complications, therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (complications, therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Patient Dropouts
• Quality of Life
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult