Feasibility of abdominal massage for the alleviation of the symptoms of constipation in people with multiple sclerosis
Belfast City Hospital
This research is being undertaken to investigate the efficacy of introducing abdominal massage into the routine care of people with constipation and multiple sclerosis. A pilot study will initially assess feasibility and patient perspectives, and will provide the basis for a future clinical study.
Constipation can be present in up to 70% of people with MS but little research has been carried out to determine the most appropriate treatment and in recent studies it has been reported that management is often unsatisfactory. Abdominal massage has been reported to be effective for chronic constipation and/or faecal incontinence in other conditions, but no studies have been reported of abdominal massage for people with MS. As there are no known side effects and some autonomy of treatment may be provided, it is hoped that this research will provide evidence, or otherwise, for its use as part of a bowel management strategy.
