Acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for patients with irritable bowel syndrome: Pilot mixed-methods study

Background Intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often affect quality of life (QOL). Acupoint electrical stimulation is a noninvasive and highly safe complementary therapy that is generally well accepted by patients. However, few studies have investigated the efficacy of AL-TENS (acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) in improving QOL in patients with IBS. Objectives This study aimed to explore the experiences of patients with IBS receiving AL-TENS. Design This study employed an experimental mixed-methods design with convenience sampling. Setting Participants were recruited from a regional teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. Participants Adults diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. Methods Participants ( n = 30) were randomly assigned to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or control groups. In addition to completing structured questionnaires at four times, the TENS group also participated in structured qualitative interviews and completed a satisfaction questionnaire to assess their perceptions of the intervention. The questionnaires assessed demographic and clinical characteristics, QOL, symptom severity, and stool characteristics. Results IBS-specific QOL scores improved over time in the TENS group, being significantly better at weeks 4 and 8 than at baseline. Relative to the control group, the TENS group exhibited significant improvements in the social relationships domain at weeks 4 and 8 post-intervention. Qualitatively, 13 participants reported improvements in IBS symptoms and nine reported enhanced QOL. Conclusions In patients with IBS, AL-TENS may help improve IBS symptoms and the social components of QOL. Further research with larger sample sizes is necessary to validate these findings.