Auricular acupressure lessens constipation symptom severity and enhances quality of life in constipation-affected elderly patients living in residential care homes.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of auricular acupressure on constipation and the quality of life in elderly individuals in residential care facilities.

In this randomized clinical trial, 53 older people with chronic constipation were included. Volunteers were randomly divided into the intervention group (n = 27) and the control group (n = 26). For the intervention group, auricular acupressure was performed using Vaccaria seeds at the seven auricular acupoints (subcortex, sympathetic, lung, spleen, San Jiao, rectum, and large intestine) for ten days.

For the control group, auricular acupressure was performed using seedless auricular plasters at the same seven auricular acupoints for ten days. Using demographic and clinical, Patient Assessment of Constipation-Quality of Life, and Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptom questionnaires, data was gathered prior to the intervention, at the conclusion of the intervention, and during the 10-day follow-up. For assessing data, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences-22 (SPSS-22) software was used.

Constipation and its associated quality of life scores varied significantly with time between the groups. After the treatment, the intervention group's mean constipation score was 0.41 points lower than that of the control group. The mean score in the intervention group was 0.09 lower than the control group on the 10-day follow-up, indicating a reduction in the constipation symptom severity.

The mean score of quality of life in the intervention arm was 0.56 and 0.19 less when compared to the control arm after treatment and the ten-day follow-up, respectively (a decline in mean score of quality of life implies an enhancement in quality of life).

In addition to alleviating constipation symptoms, auricular acupressure at recommended acupoints can also improve patients' satisfaction with their intervention, improve the quality of life related to constipation, reduce patients' concerns and worries, and help them live more worry-free lives.

When caring for elderly patients with constipation in their homes, nursing homes, or medical facilities, nurses can utilize this non-pharmaceutical technique since it is non-invasive, acceptable, safe, and affordable.