The Short-Term Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Female Patients with Functional Constipation and Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Fariba Khosravi, Siyavash Joukar, Mohammad Reza Nourbakhsh et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized clinical trial evaluated the short-term effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in 38 female patients aged 20-50 with functional constipation (FC) and myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). The study found that taVNS significantly improved complete spontaneous bowel movements per week (CSBMs/week) compared to sham-taVNS, with a mean increase of 1.65 times from baseline and 1.37 times compared to the sham group (p = 0.007).
Key findings
- taVNS improved CSBMs/week by 1.65 times from baseline and 1.37 times compared to sham-taVNS (p = 0.007).
- The taVNS group showed greater reductions in Wexner constipation scores and visual analogue scale scores compared to the sham group.
- taVNS enhanced high frequency heart rate variability and decreased low frequency and the LF/HF ratio compared to sham-taVNS.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that taVNS may offer a nonpharmacologic treatment option for female patients suffering from functional constipation alongside chronic pain syndromes, potentially improving their quality of life.