AURICULAR ELECTROACUPUNCTURE FOR FUNCTIONAL GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, THONG NHAT HOSPITAL

Nguyen Thi Que Chi 1 , Hoang Thi Hong Nhung 1 , Nguyen Quoc Phong 1 , Le Thi Hanh 1 , Nguyen Thi Truc Nha 1 , Vu Thị Ly Na 1, 2 ,
1 Thong Nhat Hospital image/svg+xml
2 University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City image/svg+xml
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DOI
10.63947/bvtn.v1i5.10
Published
2025-11-01
Issue Vol. 1 No. 5 (2025): Thong Nhat Hospital’s 50-Year Journey - Comprehensive Healthcare and Healthy Aging
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Original Research
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Research

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Thi Que Chi N, Thi Hong Nhung H, Quoc Phong N, Thi Hanh L, Thi Truc Nha N, Thị Ly Na V. AURICULAR ELECTROACUPUNCTURE FOR FUNCTIONAL GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, THONG NHAT HOSPITAL. JHA [Internet]. Vietnam; 2025 Nov. 1 [cited 2025 Nov. 5];1(5):68–73. https://tcsuckhoelaohoa.vn/bvtn/article/view/132 doi: 10.63947/bvtn.v1i5.10
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Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of electro-auricular acupuncture in the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders, as classified by Traditional Medicine. Thirty patients with digestive disorders were enrolled and received daily electro-auricular acupuncture for 14 consecutive days. Symptom severity was assessed at baseline D0, D7, and D14 using a standardized questionnaire. In the excess pattern group, a statistically significant improvement was observed in certain symptoms by day 7 (abdominal pain, p=0,04; borborygmus/bloating, p=0,008), with most symptoms showing marked reduction by day 14 (p<0,05). For the deficiency pattern group, most symptoms demonstrated significant improvement primarily at D14 (p<0,05); however, specific symptoms such as “sallow complexion/cold limbs” and “fatigue/poor appetite” showed improvement only at this later time point. The treatment was well-tolerated, and no serious adverse events were reported. Minor, self-limited side effects included pain at insertion (10%), mild bleeding (6,7%), and needle faint (3,3%). The findings suggest that electro-auricular acupuncture is an effective intervention for improving the symptoms of digestive disorders in both excess and deficiency patterns and possesses a favorable safety profile.

 

Keywords

electro-auricular acupuncture functional gastrointestinal disorders traditional medicine

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