A randomized, controlled clinical trial of acupoint catgut embedding as an effective control of functional anorectal pain

BACKGROUND: Patients with functional anorectal pain (FAP) usually feel pain in the anal region, foreign body sensation, and defecation disorders. The pain may radiate to the perineum, thighs, and waist. Conventional biofeedback, local nerve block and surgical treatment have certain limitations. Thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA) is a complementary and alternative therapy, which is widely used in the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine to treat functional anorectal pain. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the catgut-embedding acupuncture in patients with FAP. METHODS: FAP patients were enrolled and randomly divided into a thread-embedding acupuncture group (n = 35) and a sham-embedding acupuncture control group (n = 36). Patients underwent treatment twice monthly for 2 months and were assessed before and after treatments for visual analogue scales (VAS) of anorectal pain, VAS of lumbar pain or soreness, VAS of abdominal distension or pain, anal incontinence index, and SF-36 quality of life. The SF-36 quality of life score included assessment of physical functioning, role-physical, bodily-pain, general health, role-emotional, social functioning, vitality, and mental health. RESULT: The total effective rate was 85.71% for the treatment group versus 8.33% of the controls after 2 months (P < .001). The patients’ anal rectum VAS score was significantly higher after treatment versus pretreatment (P < .01), while the physical functioning, role-physical, bodily-pain, role-emotional, and mental health in the experimental group and the role-emotional, and mental health in the control group were all significantly improved versus pretreatment (P < .05). The anorectal VAS score, anal incontinence index, and the SF-36 scores of the physical functioning, role-physical, bodily-pain, role-emotional, and mental health were better in the treatment group compared to the control group (P < .05). Most importantly, there were no adverse reactions observed in either group during the treatment. CONCLUSION: The thread-embedding acupuncture treatment effectively and safely improved the emotional anxiety and quality of life in FAP patients.