Acupuncture for Chronic Constipation in Patients with Chronic Disorders of Consciousness After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Patients with chronic disorders of consciousness (DOC) frequently develop chronic constipation. This study evaluated the effects of acupuncture on bowel movements (BMs) in patients with DOC and chronic constipation resulting from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). This retrospective observational study took place in the Chubu Medical Center for Prolonged Traumatic Brain Dysfunction, of Kizawa Memorial Hospital, in Minokamo, Gifu, Japan. The study included 25 patients with chronic DOC resulting from TBI, who received acupuncture treatment. The patients received 2 sessions of acupuncture treatment per week. Information on frequency of defecation, number of days during which patients had BMs, and use of laxatives prior to the acupuncture treatment and after 10 weeks of treatment was extracted from medical records and compared. The median (first quartile and third quartile) frequency of defecation increased significantly after 10 weeks of acupuncture from 3.0 (2.5, 3.5) to 3.5 (2.5, 4.5) times/week ( = 0.038). The number of days on which defecation occurred also increased significantly, from 2.0 (2.0, 2.5) to 2.5 (2.0, 3.5) days/week (