Brain-gut-microbiota axis: An effective target of abdominal acupuncture therapy for post-stroke functional constipation.

After a stroke, many people struggle with constipation, which can seriously affect recovery and quality of life. Researchers wanted to know whether a specialized form of acupuncture — called abdominal acupuncture, where needles are placed specifically on the abdomen — could help stroke survivors who were dealing with this problem.

In this study, 75 stroke patients with constipation were divided into two groups. One group received standard stroke care, including medication and rehabilitation. The other group received the same standard care plus abdominal acupuncture treatments. Before and after the treatment period, researchers measured constipation symptoms, balance, movement ability, neurological function, and even the types of bacteria living in patients' digestive systems.

Both groups improved, but the acupuncture group improved significantly more across nearly every measure. Patients who received abdominal acupuncture had better relief from constipation, better balance and physical function, and stronger neurological recovery. On top of that, their gut bacteria shifted in a healthier direction — with harmful bacteria like E. coli decreasing and beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium increasing. Brain imaging also showed greater positive changes in cortical activity in the acupuncture group.

What makes these findings especially interesting is the concept behind them: the brain-gut-microbiota axis. This is the communication highway connecting your brain, your digestive system, and your gut bacteria. After a stroke, this system can become disrupted, contributing to both neurological problems and digestive issues like constipation. Abdominal acupuncture appears to help restore balance along this entire pathway at once — addressing the gut and the brain simultaneously.

For stroke survivors struggling with constipation, these findings suggest that abdominal acupuncture could be a meaningful addition to standard rehabilitation care. If you are interested in exploring acupuncture as part of your recovery, speak with a licensed and experienced acupuncture practitioner who has experience working with neurological conditions.

This randomized controlled trial (n=75) investigated abdominal acupuncture (AA) as an adjunct to standard stroke rehabilitation for post-stroke functional constipation, framed within the brain-gut-microbiota axis model. Patients were allocated to routine treatment (RT) alone or RT plus AA. Outcome measures included constipation symptom scores, fecal microbiota analysis, NIHSS, Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Modified Barthel Index, Limits of Stability, and resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements post-treatment; however, the AA group showed significantly greater gains across all parameters (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Notably, AA produced favorable microbiome shifts — reduced Escherichia coli and Enterococcus, increased Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacteroides — alongside superior neurological recovery and cortical functional activity changes on fNIRS. Clinical takeaway: AA appears to simultaneously modulate gut microbiota composition and neurological recovery in post-stroke patients, suggesting a viable adjunctive protocol targeting the brain-gut-microbiota axis to reduce post-stroke constipation and disability burden.