Irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS) is the most common bowel disorder seen by primary care physicians
and gastroenterologists. It is a gastrointestinal disorder that is
believed to affect approximately 15%-20% of the adult population and is
characterised by an array of symptoms including “abdominal distension,
abdominal pain, and bowel dysfunction, characterised by loose bowels,
constipation or a fluctuation between these two extremes”. Many patients
have been led to seek alternative therapies such as acupuncture to treat
their IBS. The lack of good quality trials mean that current evidence for
acupuncture is inconclusive, however further investigation being
warranted.
We
conducted a pilot study to develop a platform for a full-scale randomised
controlled trial to evaluate the clinical and economic benefits of
offering acupuncture to patients being treated for irritable bowel
syndrome. The project was based in South Birmingham and involved primary
care referrals of patients with IBS to receive either a course of
acupuncture or normal GP care alone.(Reynolds et al 2008)
In 2008, the University of
York received £250,000 funding from the National Institute of Health
Research, in their Research for Patient Benefit scheme, to conduct a
full-scale trial. Managed by the York Trials Unit, the trial has now
recruited 233 patients who are currently being followed up for a period of
twelve months. We expect to complete data collection in June 2010 and
publish the results in 2011.
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