Acupuncture for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Clinical Takeaway

: In a randomized trial, acupuncture showed some benefit for relieving pain and improving stool consistency.

Context

Both clinicians and patients often are frustrated by lack of effective ways to control symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In this randomized Chinese study, researchers explored the value of acupuncture in 242 adults who met validated criteria for diarrhea-predominant IBS. The intervention group received 15 acupuncture treatments over 6 weeks, using sharp needles with manual stimulation at acupuncture points specified by traditional Chinese medicine as being useful for gastrointestinal disorders. Control patients received sham therapy with blunt-tipped needles at nontraditional acupuncture points.

Key Results

After the 6-week treatment period, the primary outcome (i.e., percentage of patients with ≥30% improvement in mean worst…

Reviewing Author

Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

Disclosures

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