Abstract:

Objective To observe the effect of acupoint sticking therapy along meridians on gastrointestinal function recovery in patients after lumbar internal fixation surgery. Methods From January 2020 to March 2022， 125 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases were admitted to our hospital's Department of Orthopaedics and divided into two groups： control （n = 62） and acupoint sticking therapy （n = 63）. The control group received standard postoperative care for lumbar internal fixation， while the experimental group received routine care based on acupoint sticking therapy along meridians. The NVAS scores for postoperative nausea and vomiting， abdominal distension and pain， bowel sound， initial exhaust， and defecation time were compared between the two groups. Results Both groups experienced gastrointestinal problems to varied degrees following surgery. The experimental group had significantly lower rates of nausea， NVAS score， vomiting grade， abdominal distension， return to normal bowel sounds， and time of first exhaust and bowel movement compared to the control group （P < 0.05）. However， there were no significant differences in abdominal pain and abdominal circumference （P > 0.05）. There were no adverse reactions in either group. The incidence of postoperative abdominal distension， nausea and vomiting in the observation group was lower than that in the control group， and the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.05）. Conclusion Acupoint sticking therapy along meridians could accelerate the recovery of gastrointestinal function of patients after lumbar internal fixation， promote rapid recovery after surgery， and improve quality of life.

Key words: lumbar internal fixation, acupoint application along the meridians, gastrointestinal function, rapid rehabilitation