Investigation of Aerobic Exercise Added to Abdominal Massage in Functional Constipation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the additional benefits of combining aerobic exercise with abdominal massage for adults aged 18 to 65 who have functional constipation. While previous studies have looked at these treatments separately, this trial aims to see if using both together can produce greater improvements, potentially leading to an ideal bowel movement frequency or symptom relief. This is a randomized controlled trial involving individuals diagnosed with chronic constipation based on Rome IV criteria who have not started new treatments in the last 3 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group 1 will receive patient education, abdominal massage, and aerobic exercise training, while Group 2 will receive patient education and abdominal massage only. The aerobic exercise consists of treadmill walking supervised by a physiotherapist three times per week for eight weeks, plus two additional unsupervised sessions weekly outside the clinic. Abdominal massage will be done manually by the physiotherapist and also as self-massage by patients at home, both for eight weeks. Patient education will cover constipation causes, treatment options, and lifestyle advice including diet and physical activity. Participants' physical, medical, and lifestyle characteristics will be recorded along with weekly bowel habits such as defecation frequency, time, laxative use, and stool consistency tracked using diaries and validated scales. Other assessments include constipation severity, gastrointestinal symptoms, quality of life, abdominal muscle strength, and exercise capacity measured at the start and after eight weeks. Researchers will also evaluate participants' perceptions of change and adherence to lifestyle recommendations throughout the study.

Investigation of the Additional Effects of Aerobic Exercise Training to Abdominal Massage in Functional Constipation