Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College London, 57 Waterloo Road, London, UK.
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2010 Feb;16(1):41-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2009.06.002. Epub 2009 Sep 9.
Constipation is a common problem in the UK, affecting up to 20% of the population. Reflexologists claim that reflexology can be beneficial in the treatment of constipation. The aim of this exploratory pilot study was to determine the effectiveness of reflexology in treating idiopathic constipation in women and it is the first study of the effectiveness of reflexology for the treatment of women with idiopathic constipation defined according to Rome II criteria.
Nineteen female patients referred to a specialist biofeedback service with idiopathic constipation defined by Rome II criteria were recruited. A course of reflexology treatment (weekly for six weeks) was given. Patients' subjective perception of constipation was recorded as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), the Short form 36 (SF36), whole gut transit and the Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (HCAMQ) before and after the intervention.
All participants completed the intervention and none were lost to follow-up. Ninety-four percent of participants identified their constipation to be improved to some extent. Ten participants had improved colonic transit times and two patients had normalised colonic transit. Ten patients (53%, p=0.19) demonstrated an improved anxiety score and 11 participants (58%, p=0.14) demonstrated an improved depression score on the HAD scales. Improvement was seen in general health, mental health and vitality on the SF36 scale, with vitality improving significantly (p<0.05). Sixty-three percent of participants had a more positive attitude (p=0.03) towards CAM and holistic health following treatment.
This study shows that in this sample reflexology has potential benefit for treating idiopathic constipation in women. Further randomised trials are required.
便秘在英国是一个常见的问题，影响了多达 20%的人口。反射疗法师声称反射疗法对治疗便秘有益。本探索性试点研究的目的是确定反射疗法对治疗女性特发性便秘的有效性，这是根据罗马 II 标准定义的特发性便秘的反射疗法治疗的首次研究。
招募了 19 名被转诊到专门生物反馈服务机构的特发性便秘女性患者（根据罗马 II 标准定义）。给予反射疗法治疗（每周 6 周）。在干预前后记录患者对便秘的主观感知，以及医院焦虑和抑郁量表（HAD）、短型 36（SF36）、全肠道转运和整体补充和替代医学问卷（HCAMQ）。
所有参与者都完成了干预，没有一人失访。94%的参与者认为他们的便秘在某种程度上有所改善。10 名参与者的结肠转运时间得到改善，2 名患者的结肠转运正常化。10 名患者（53%，p=0.19）的焦虑评分有所改善，11 名患者（58%，p=0.14）的抑郁评分有所改善。SF36 量表中的一般健康、心理健康和活力都有所改善，活力明显改善（p<0.05）。63%的参与者在治疗后对 CAM 和整体健康的态度更加积极（p=0.03）。
本研究表明，在本样本中，反射疗法对治疗女性特发性便秘有潜在益处。需要进一步的随机试验。
