Trial reportAging clinical and experimental research2025
Comparative effects of traditional Thai abdominal massage versus prune consumption on constipation and quality of life in elderly women: A randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Safety and Efficacy of Manual and Automated Abdominal Colonic Massage for Chronic Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Clinical and translational gastroenterology · 2026Pooled it
- Constipation in Older Adults: Pathophysiology, Clinical Impact, and Management Strategies.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic constipation is common in the elderly, impairing quality of life and increasing healthcare use. While pharmacologic options exist, low-cost non-pharmacological alternatives remain underutilized.
aimsTo compare the effectiveness of traditional Thai abdominal massage versus prune consumption in relieving functional constipation in older women.
methodsThis single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2024 at Rafsanjan Primary Healthcare Centers. One hundred five elderly women with constipation (Rome III criteria) were assigned to Thai abdominal massage, prune consumption (50 g twice weekly), or control (n = 35 each) for 8 weeks. Outcomes included constipation severity (Constipation Assessment Scale, CAS), stool consistency (Bristol Stool Index), pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS), and quality of life (PAC-QoL).
resultsThai massage significantly reduced constipation severity (-6.71 ± 2.84), pain (-5.55 ± 1.92), and improved stool consistency (-2.03 ± 0.84) compared to the prune and control groups. Prune consumption showed the greatest improvement in quality of life (+ 0.75 ± 0.44). Group-by-time interaction effects were significant for all outcomes (CAS: F = 33.04; VAS: F = 84.33; Bristol: F = 26.74; QoL: F = 59.33; all p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Thai massage was more effective in relieving constipation symptoms, while prunes offered subjective well-being benefits. Mechanistically, massage likely improved colonic motility and reduced anorectal discomfort.
conclusionThai abdominal massage offers a superior, low-cost intervention for functional constipation in elderly women, while prune consumption may complement care through quality-of-life gains.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.