Evaluating the Efficacy of Massage Intervention for the Treatment of Poststroke Constipation: A Meta-Analysis

Table 1

Characteristics of the included studies.

First author, year	Inclusion and exclusion criteria	Type of study	Participant (I/C)	Interventions	Outcome
Zhong et al. [10]	Inclusion criteria: a, b, c; exclusion criteria: f, g, h	RCT	55/55	Meridian massage once a day for 14 consecutive days	①
Han [11]	Inclusion criteria: d, e; exclusion criteria: i, h	RCT	60/60	Abdominal massage twice a day for 14 consecutive days	②
Jiao and Zhai [12]	Inclusion criteria: b; exclusion criteria: i, j	RCT	80/75	Periumbilical massage and acupoint massage twice a day for 3 consecutive days	③④
Ma [13]	Inclusion criteria: b; exclusion criteria: i	RCT	36/36	Acupoint massage twice a day for 14 consecutive days	①
Wang [14]	Inclusion criteria: b, d; exclusion criteria: i	RCT	25/25	Acupoint massage once a day for 21 consecutive days	①
Li and Guo [15]	Inclusion criteria: b; exclusion criteria: i	RCT	40/40	Acupoint massage once a day for 7 consecutive days	①
Pan and Xin [16]	Inclusion criteria: b; exclusion criteria: i	RCT	80/80	Acupoint massage twice a day for 3 consecutive days	③④⑤
Guo et al. [17]	Inclusion criteria: b, d; exclusion criteria: i	RCT	36/36	Acupoint massage once a day for 3 consecutive days	①
Zuo [18]	Inclusion criteria: b, e; exclusion criteria: i	RCT	34/34	Acupoint massage once a day for 3 consecutive days	②③
Li et al. [19]	Inclusion criteria: b; exclusion criteria: i, l, m	RCT	31/31	Point rubbing, abdominal massage twice a day for 14 consecutive days	②
Wang and Yao [20]	Inclusion criteria: b; exclusion criteria: h, i	RCT	48/48	Acupoint massage twice a day for 10 consecutive days	②

Inclusion and exclusion criteria: a: candidates are aged between 55 and 85; b: diagnosis of cerebral apoplexy met the diagnostic criteria of the fourth national meeting of cerebrovascular diseases and was confirmed by CT or MRI; c: defecation frequency ≤ 3 times per week, weight of feces < 35 g or ≥ 25% per day; d: no dysphagia; e: no habitual constipation before admission; f: patients with mental retardation; g: epilepsy; h: other serious diseases; i: organic intestinal lesions; j: swallowing dysfunction; k: abstemious constipation; l: disturbance of consciousness; m: organic disease of anus. Outcome: ① total effective rate; ② incidence of constipation; ③ time of first bowel movement; ④ symptoms of first bowel movement; ⑤ blood pressure, heart rate comparison. I/C, intervention group/control group; RCT, randomized controlled trial.