Irritable bowel syndrome treated by traditional Chinese spinal orthopedic manipulation

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical effect of traditional Chinese spinal orthopedic manipulation (TCSOM) in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) compared with pinaverium bromide Dicetel® (PBD), and to assess a possible cause for IBS.MethodsTwo hundred ten IBS patients were randomly divided into the TCSOM group and the PBD group. All patients in the TCSOM group were treated with spinal manipulations 5 times. Pain intensity was assessed on a visual analogue scale and symptoms were evaluated based on bowel symptom scale (BSS) scores before and after treatment. A symptom improvement rating (SIR) was implemented to evaluate the effects of treatment, and to statistically compare the TCSOM and PBD groups.ResultsPost-treatment subjective assessment for the TCSOM treatment group showed that 92 cases had excellent results, 10 cases had good results, 3 cases had fair results, and 0 cases had poor results. In the PBD group, 30 cases had excellent results, 41 cases had good results, 12 cases had fair results, and 22 cases had poor results. According to the SIR, which was based on the BSS, the TCSOM group included 92 cases with excellent results, 10 cases with good results and 3 cases with poor results. There were no adverse side effects from treatment. Based on the BSS, the PBD group had 30 cases with excellent results, 41 cases with good results, and 34 cases with poor results. We found that the symptom rating in the BSS in the TCSOM group showed a more significant improvement, such as a reduction in the severity and frequency of symptoms, compared with that in the PBD group (P<0.001).ConclusionDisplacement of intervertebral discs and/or vertebra in the thoracic or lumbar region appears to be a contributing factor in the symptoms of IBS. Correcting this displacement of intervertebral discs and/or vertebra to resolve the stimuli caused by pressure exerted on the nerves and vessels around the spine is an effective treatment for IBS.