| Abstract |
Objective To study the therapeutic effect of sacral nerve electrical stimulation on neurogenic intestinal dysfunction after spinal cord injury. Methods This study analyzed patients with post-spinal cord injury (SCI) neurogenic bowel dysfunction admitted between March 2019 and December 2023. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: a control group receiving standard treatments (including medication, dietary adjustments, abdominal massage, enemas, suppositories, or stool softeners), and an observation group receiving additional sacral nerve electrical stimulation (SNS) therapy. Treatment efficacy was quantitatively evaluated using bowel movement frequency, duration per defecation, and stool consistency scoring, with documentation of any accompanying symptoms such as discomfort, headache, or excessive sweating. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0, with paired t-tests for mean comparisons at the 0.05 significance level. The study aimed to assess the therapeutic effects of SNS therapy on patients with SCI-related bowel dysfunction. Results In the Bristol stool consistency scoring system, the control group scored 2.13±1.23 while the experimental group scored 2.52±1.39, with no statistically significant difference between groups (t=-1.16, p=0.25). Post-treatment, the control group's Bristol score was significantly lower than the experimental group (2.94±0.93 vs. 4.48±1.12, t=-5.92, p=0). Regarding weekly bowel movement frequency, the control group had 3.19±1.85 before treatment compared to 3.55±1.65 in the experimental group (t=-0.8, p=0.429), showing no significant difference. However, after treatment, the experimental group's frequency (5.29±1.13) was significantly higher than the control group's (3.71±1.51, t=-4.67, p=0). For bowel movement duration, the control group averaged 3.65±1.05 minutes compared to 3.42±1.03 minutes in the experimental group (t=0.856, p=0.395), showing no significant difference. Post-treatment, the control group's duration (3.48±0.93) was significantly longer than the experimental group's (2.48±0.72, t=4.735, p=0). Conclusion The treatment of sacral nerve electrical stimulation on the body surface can change the stool grade, shorten the defecation time, increase the frequency of defecation per week, and improve the intestinal dysfunction in patients with neurogenic intestinal dysfunction after spinal cord injury.
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