A Clinical Study on Warm Needling Moxibustion at Tianshu and Guanyuan Acupoints

Summary

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two different acupuncture techniques for treating a specific type of chronic constipation, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as "Yang deficiency type" chronic functional constipation.

Chronic functional constipation is a common condition characterized by difficult or infrequent bowel movements. The "Yang deficiency" pattern is believed to be caused by a lack of functional energy (Qi) and warmth in the body, leading to sluggish bowel motility.

This study will enroll 60 eligible participants who will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

Experimental Group: Participants will receive "warm needling" therapy. This involves inserting acupuncture needles at specific points (Tianshu and Guanyuan) and then burning a small moxa stick on the needle handle to generate heat.

Control Group: Participants will receive electroacupuncture at the same acupoints. This involves attaching the needles to a device that delivers a mild electric current.

Both groups will receive treatment every other day, three times a week, for a total of four weeks. We will assess their constipation symptoms, anxiety and depression levels, and quality of life using standardized questionnaires immediately after the 4-week treatment and again 6 months later. The goal is to see which method provides better relief, both in the short term and long term.

Conditions

• Constipation - Functional

Interventions

DEVICE

Warm Needling

Warm Needling： After routine disinfection with 75% alcohol, disposable sterile stainless steel acupuncture needles (0.25×40 mm) are inserted perpendicularly at Tianshu (ST25) to a depth of approximately 25 mm and at Guanyuan (CV4) to approximately 20 mm. After achieving deqi (local soreness, distension, or radiation to ipsilateral abdomen or groin), a moxa stick (diameter 2 cm, length 3 cm) is ignited and attached to the needle handle with the lit end facing upward. Needles are retained for 30 minutes per session, with care taken to avoid skin burns. Treatment is administered every other day, three times weekly, for a total of four weeks.

DEVICE

Electroacupuncture

Electroacupuncture：After routine disinfection with 75% alcohol, disposable sterile stainless steel acupuncture needles (0.25×40 mm) are inserted perpendicularly at Tianshu (ST25) to a depth of approximately 25 mm and at Guanyuan (CV4) to approximately 20 mm. After achieving deqi (local soreness, distension, or radiation to ipsilateral abdomen or groin), a balanced tonifying and reducing technique is used. The needle handles are connected to an electroacupuncture device (Hwato SDZ-V series electronic needle therapy instrument) with a dense-sparse wave (2/15 Hz) at an intensity sufficient to produce mild muscle twitching. Needles are retained for 30 minutes per session. Treatment is administered every other day, three times weekly, for a total of four weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-08-01

Primary Completion

2025-10-30

Completion

2025-10-30

Countries

• China

Study Locations