Perineal Self-Acupressure for Constipation?

Allan S. Brett, MD reviewing Abbott R et al. J Gen Intern Med 2015 Apr.

A randomized trial demonstrated effectiveness of this procedure.

Some people have proposed that perineal massage can mitigate constipation, but this technique has not been validated in randomized trials. In this study, researchers randomized 100 patients who met Rome III criteria for functional constipation to receive either standard care alone or standard care plus instruction in perineal self-acupressure. In perineal self-acupressure, patients apply pressure with two fingers to the area between the anus and the scrotum or vagina (Figure) when they perceive an urge to defecate.

At 1 month, scores on a validated constipation quality-of-life questionnaire improved more in the self-acupressure group than in the control group (by 0.8 points vs. by 0.2 points on a 4-point scale); this statistically significant difference also was considered to be clinically significant. Several secondary outcomes, including hemorrhoid symptoms, also favored the self-acupressure group.

Citation(s):

Abbott R et al. Effect of perineal self-acupressure on constipation: A randomized controlled trial. J Gen Intern Med 2015 Apr; 30:434.