Effects of Chinese pediatric therapeutic massage on the management of functional constipation in children: A randomized single blind trial
Bai X, Li D, Tian Y, Li JX, Zhu Q, Kong L, Liu J, Wang C · Medicine · 2025 December 26
DOI 10.1097/MD.0000000000046865
Objective
To investigate the effects of regular and Han's style Chinese pediatric Tuina therapy on functional constipation symptoms in children diagnosed according to the Rome IV criteria and traditional Chinese medicine criteria for food stagnation with internal heat or inflammation.
Conclusions
Chinese pediatric Tuina therapy significantly improved functional constipation symptoms in children with food stagnation and internal heat or inflammation, and Han's style Tuina demonstrated greater benefits than regular Tuina.
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Insights
Han's style pediatric Tuina appeared to relieve childhood functional constipation more effectively than regular Tuina, particularly for stool consistency and bloating.
Children with functional constipation and a traditional Chinese medicine pattern of food stagnation with internal heat were randomly assigned to receive either regular pediatric Tuina or Han's style pediatric Tuina. Treatments were delivered across successive treatment courses with planned breaks, and bowel symptoms were assessed before treatment, after each course, and at follow-up using measures of stool consistency, defecation difficulty, duration, frequency, and abdominal bloating.
Both therapies improved all assessed constipation symptoms compared with pretreatment levels. Han's style pediatric Tuina showed greater improvement than regular Tuina in stool consistency and abdominal bloating, suggesting that this approach may offer particular advantages for children with this constipation pattern.
