Effects of chewing gum and LI4 acupressure on gastrointestinal recovery after cesarean section: A randomized controlled trial

IF 3 4区医学 Q2 INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Integrative Medicine Research Pub Date : 2025-08-15 DOI:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101227

Hossein Bagheri , Seyedeh Solmaz Talebi , Bahar Shahri , Mobin Mottahedi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction is a frequent complication after cesarean section (CS), delaying recovery and causing discomfort. This study assessed the effects of chewing gum (CG) and LI4 acupressure—each compared with routine care—on gastrointestinal recovery after elective CS.

Methods

In this three-arm randomized controlled trial, 105 women undergoing elective CS were randomly allocated to CG plus routine care, acupressure plus routine care, or routine care alone (n = 35 each). Interventions were applied three times daily for two days. Primary outcomes were time to first gas passage and defecation; secondary outcomes included time to mobilization, postoperative abdominal pain (measured at six time points), and nausea/vomiting incidence. Analyses employed Kaplan–Meier survival curves, repeated-measures ANOVA, and chi-square tests.

Results

Both CG and acupressure groups showed significantly faster recovery than routine care, with shorter times to first gas passage, defecation, and mobilization (all p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between CG and acupressure for these measures. A significant time × group interaction for pain (p = 0.025) indicated greater and more sustained relief in the acupressure group (all p < 0.05 vs. other groups). Nausea and vomiting rates were lower in intervention groups, though differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Chewing gum and LI4 acupressure each significantly enhanced postoperative gastrointestinal recovery after CS compared with routine care, while acupressure provided superior pain control. These simple, non-pharmacological methods may improve maternal recovery and comfort.

Trial registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials,

IRCT20200206046395N3 (https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/).

查看原文本刊更多论文

咀嚼口香糖和LI4穴位按压对剖宫产术后胃肠恢复的影响：一项随机对照试验

背景剖宫产术后胃肠功能障碍是剖宫产术后常见的并发症，会延迟恢复并引起不适。本研究评估了咀嚼口香糖（CG）和LI4穴位对选择性CS术后胃肠道恢复的影响，并与常规护理进行了比较。方法在这项三组随机对照试验中，105名接受选择性CS的妇女被随机分配到CG +常规护理、穴位按压+常规护理或单独常规护理组（各35例）。干预措施每天应用三次，持续两天。主要观察指标为首次排气时间和排便时间；次要结局包括活动时间、术后腹痛（在6个时间点测量）和恶心/呕吐发生率。分析采用Kaplan-Meier生存曲线、重复测量方差分析和卡方检验。结果穴位按压组和CG组患者恢复速度均明显快于常规护理组，首次排气、排便和活动时间均较常规护理组短（p < 0.001）。在这些测量中没有观察到CG和指压之间的显著差异。时间与组间的显著交互作用（p = 0.025）表明穴位按压组疼痛缓解更大、更持久（p < 0.05）。干预组的恶心和呕吐率较低，但差异无统计学意义。结论与常规护理相比，舒张牙龈和LI4穴位按摩均能显著促进CS术后胃肠道恢复，穴位按摩对疼痛的控制效果更好。这些简单的，非药物的方法可以改善产妇的恢复和舒适。试验注册：伊朗临床试验注册中心，IRCT20200206046395N3 （https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/）。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Integrative Medicine Research Medicine-Complementary and Alternative Medicine

CiteScore

6.50

自引率

2.90%

发文量

审稿时长

12 weeks

期刊介绍： Integrative Medicine Research (IMR) is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal focused on scientific research for integrative medicine including traditional medicine (emphasis on acupuncture and herbal medicine), complementary and alternative medicine, and systems medicine. The journal includes papers on basic research, clinical research, methodology, theory, computational analysis and modelling, topical reviews, medical history, education and policy based on physiology, pathology, diagnosis and the systems approach in the field of integrative medicine.