Clinical Research On The Psychological State And Life Quality Of Chronic Functional Constipation Patients Treated With Acupuncture Combined With Chinese Herbs

Background:Chronic functional constipation (CFC) is a common diagnose of gastrointestinal diseases, with the impact of diet changes and psychological and social factors, the prevalence rate is gradually increasing. In general, the prevalence of constipation among the general population in North America has been quoted as1.9%to27.2%, a random, stratified survey carried out in Beijing showed that6.07%of the prevalence of chronic functional constipation.CFC's course is long with high medical costs and huge social spending. In the United States, constipation accounts for7million physician visits per year and over US$800million is spent for over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives, and diagnostic workup for constipation averages US$3000per patient, and it takes another US$4500per person to provide treatment.Recent researches discovered that the CFC morbidity and the stress disorder have the close relation. Psychological state of CFC patient is bad, and the quality of life reduces, but fewer researches about the improvement of psychological state and quality of life after treatment.The CFC treated by acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs has its unique superiority not only safe, effective but the untoward effect is few. Treatment of CFC based on TCM theory mainly to human nature, makes an adjustment of the whole body adjustment, and cures both physically and mentally. Nowadays treatment is not only the improvement of symptoms, but the psychological state and the quality of life has utilized gradually takes the curative effect as the evaluating indicators. Acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs treat CFC, by the rule of treating body and mind to be a whole body adjustment, makes the body and mind cured together.Objective:This research takes the Chinese medicine theory as the instruction, takes the clinical practice as the basis and uses acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs to treat CFC. The valuation tools are the psychological scales (SCL-90, SAS, and SDS) and the constipation quality of life (PAC-QOL) to inquire into the influence of psychological state and the quality of life of CFC patients by the intervenes of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs. It highlights the superiority of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs, enhances the function and the status of the traditional Chinese medicine in treating CFC, expands the clinical care mentality, and provides a more accurate method to enhance the clinical curative effect.Method:According to Rome â…¢ criteria and the laboratory test results, collected90cases of CFC from March,2010to March,2011in the pelvic floor center of Nanjing Chinese medicine University third affiliated hospital (the Nanjing Chinese medicine hospital). They are divided into two groups randomly,60cases in the treatment group and30cases in the control group. The treatment group is given with the acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs; and the control group is only given with the treatment of traditional Chinese herbs. Ten times treatments as a course of treatment and two treatment courses are observed altogether. Around the treatment, the psychological scales (SCL-90, SAS and SDS) and the constipation quality of life (PAC-QOL) are used as assessment tools respectively to be self-comparison after two treatment courses.Result:1. Before the treatment the psychological state and life quality of CFC patient is lower compared with the normal people.(P<0.05) After the treatment, the psychological state and the quality of life have improved a lot.(P<0.01)2. The psychological state of CFC can be improved by the treatment of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs and the traditional Chinese herbs, but in the parts of depression, anxious, terror, diet, sleep, the group of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs is superior to the traditional Chinese herbs group.(P<0.05)3. The quality of life can be ameliorated by the acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs obviously than the traditional Chinese herbs.(P<0.01)Conclusion:It is safe and effective by treating CFC with acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs, and the improvement of the psychological state and the quality of life is better than the traditional Chinese herbs. The CFC patients who obviously have the lower psychological state or the quality of life may be treated first by acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs.