Effectiveness of physiotherapy in children with functional constipation
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In brief
In brief
This randomized controlled trial compared pharmacological treatment, physiotherapy, and combined therapy for functional constipation in 69 children aged 5-14 years. Results showed that while all interventions improved stool consistency and defecation frequency, combined therapy produced superior outcomes in both symptom relief and quality of life measures at 3-month follow-up.
- Combined physiotherapy and pharmacological treatment showed superior outcomes compared to either intervention alone in pediatric functional constipation.
- Physiotherapy alone significantly improved quality of life measures, while pharmacological treatment alone did not affect PedsQL scores.
- All three treatment approaches (medication, physiotherapy, combination) reduced pain and improved stool consistency and defecation frequency.
- Combination therapy demonstrated better long-term effectiveness at 3-month follow-up than monotherapy approaches.
- Physiotherapy represents a viable non-pharmacological option for managing functional constipation in children aged 5-14 years.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Abstract
Purpose
The objective was to compare the immediate effects of pharmacological versus physiotherapy intervention versus a combination of physiotherapy and pharmacological treatment, as well as the quality of life and the recurrence of symptoms in children with functional constipation after 3 months.
Methods
A total of 69 children with functional constipation between the ages of 5 and 14 years of either gender were assessed and randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group A, B, and C. Visual Analogue Scale, Bristol Stool Form Scale, frequency of defecation, PedsQL GI symptom scale, and PedsQL Generic Core Scale were used as outcome measures. Pharmacology was used to treat Group A, physiotherapy was used to treat Group B, and a combination of both was used to treat Group C.
Results
The study revealed statistically significant results on Visual Analogue Scale, Bristol Stool Form Scale, and frequency of defecation in all groups. However, no significant changes were observed on the PedsQL GI symptom scale and the Generic Core scale in Group A, whereas significant changes were observed in Groups B and C.
Conclusion
In this study, we found that there were significant differences in the short- and long-term effects across all groups. More changes occurred in Group C than in Groups A and B.