OBSTIPATION TREATED WITH ACUPUNCTURE

Scng Guangsheng, Zhang Huiyong, Yuan Huiru, Yan Li, Liu Jinyi

(Dpartment of Acupuncture, The First Hospital, Tianjin College of TCM, Tian'j'm)

Clinical Data

Altogether 108 cases of obstipation were treated, of which 71 were males and 37 females. 92 cases were diagnosed as cerebrovascular disease, 5 traumatic paraplegia, 4 habitual constipation, 3 hyperplastic rachitis of the lumbar vertebrae, 2 gastroptosis, and 1 case each neuromyelitis optica, myoatrophic lateral sclerosis, and fracture of the femur shaft.

Method of Treatment

Selection of points: Fenglong about one finger, Shuidao (left), Guilai (left), and the point 2 cun lateral to Shuidao or Guilai

Method: The patient was in a position of supination, and the needles were inserted at the selected points to a depth 2.5-3.0 cun in the abdomen or 1.5 cun in the lower extremity. The needling method of reducing Xie by twisting and rotating the needle was used.

Needling lasted for one minute, after which the needles were retained in place for 30 minutes. The patient was treated twice daily.

Principle: Although constipation might arise either from dryness heat or deficiency of Yin, the underlying cause was always the dysfunction of the Spleen and the Stomach-Fenglong was the collateral of the Stomach which connected with the Spleen meridian of Foot Taiyin. When needling this point it regulated the functions of the Spleen and the Stomach? and promoted hemogenesis. The needling of the point 2 cun lateral to the point Shuidao or Guilai regulated the functional activities of the Spleen and the Stomach as well as Sanjiao. When the functions Sanjiao returned to normal the functional activities of the Spleen and the Stomach were concomitantly harmonized, the visceral vita! energy o the Large Intestine would be adjusted. Constipation would be consequently

Results

In the 108 cases, good results were obtained in 103 cases, an effective rate of 95.3%. Only 5 cases (4.6%) showed no improvement. Most of the 103 cases emptied their bowels within an hour after treatment, the shortest period being 20 minutes followed needling, and the longest 3 hours.

Of the 5 cases without immediate effects, 2 were traumatic paraplegia, 2 decerebrate rigidity and the other was cerebral thrombosis.