Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease Related Constipation

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in treating Parkinson's disease related constipation (PDC). In the randomized controlled clinical trial study, patients meeting the criteria for inclusion will be randomly enrolled and divided into two groups in a 1:1 ratio: the acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group. The intervention is going to be executed using the acupoints EX-HN1（Sishencong),LI4 (Hegu),ST25 (Tianshu),ST37(Shangjuxu),ST36(Zusanli),ST44 (Neiting), ST44 (Taichong), SP6 (Sanyinjiao) and CV4 (Shuangyuan).The acupuncture needles will be inserted to a depth of 0.8 to 1 cm in the acupuncture group. The sham acupuncture group's needles will be inserted to a depth of 0.2 to 0.3 cm with nonacupuncture points located 0.5 cm in lateral to the real acupoint or to the right for midline points. During the study, researchers will observe changes in complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs), Constipation Symptom and Efficacy Assessment Scale (CSEAS) (including the six dimensions of difficulty, Bristol, time, incompleteness, frequency,and bloating), the Patient-Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life questionnaire (PAC-QOL), and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) at baseline (week 0), post-treatment (week 4), and follow-up (week 12).Colonic transit time measurement and conventional anorectal manometry were evaluated at the above time points.