Effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on colonic spasm during colonoscopy: A randomized controlled trial

Figure 1 Schematic illustration of the acupoints used for transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation. The bilateral locations of Neiguan (PC6), Zhigou (TE6), Zusanli (ST36), and Shangjuxu (ST37), together with enlarged views of each acupoint, are shown. PC6 is located 2 cun proximal to the palmar wrist crease, between the tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis; TE6 is located 3 cun proximal to the dorsal wrist crease, between the radius and ulna; ST36 is located 3 cun below Dubi (ST35), one finger-breadth lateral to the anterior crest of the tibia; and ST37 is located 3 cun below ST36 on the same longitudinal line.

Figure 2 Present study flow chart. After excluding ineligible participants, 146 subjects were randomly assigned to the two groups, and 142 completed the entire colonoscopy. Finally, 71 patients in each group were included in the analysis. TEAS: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation.

Figure 3 Forest plot of subgroup analysis for the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on colonic spasm. Odds ratios with 95%CIs are shown for each subgroup. The overall treatment effect is represented by a diamond. P for interaction indicates whether the treatment effect differs significantly across subgroups. TEAS: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation; VAS: Visual analog scale; OR: Odds ratios.