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Effect of abdominal vibration + walking exercise in older patients with constipation

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Created On: 06/08/2025

Elderly individuals with constipation often face challenges in attaining adequate bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopy.

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Key take away

Abdominal vibration combined with walking exercise improves bowel preparation, enhances adenoma detection, and increases patient satisfaction in older adults with constipation.

Background

Elderly individuals with constipation often face challenges in attaining adequate bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopy. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of an abdominal vibration combined with walking exercise (AVCWE) program versus walking exercise (WE) alone and standard bowel preparation in older adults suffering from constipation.

Method

A three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted with 271 older adults diagnosed with constipation who were scheduled for colonoscopy. Those in the AVCWE group were instructed to walk a minimum of 5,500 steps daily and underwent 2 sessions of moderate-intensity abdominal vibration. Those in the WE group also walked at least 5,500 steps, while the control group followed the standard bowel preparation protocol. The main outcome was the proportion of participants attaining adequate bowel cleansing, defined as a Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score of ≥6.

Result

Adequate bowel preparation was achieved in a higher number of patients in the AVCWE group when compared to the other two groups, as shown in Table 1:

The AVCWE group also showed markedly better adenoma detection rates (p = 0.003), higher patient satisfaction (p < 0.001), and a lower incidence of bloating (p = 0.016). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that undergoing a first-time colonoscopy (OR = 2.329), frequent laxative use (≥3 times/week; OR = 2.675), and poor adherence to dietary guidelines (OR = 2.249) were vital predictors of inadequate bowel cleansing.