Effects of Paediatric Tuina (Massage) on Constipation and Related Symptoms Among the Pre-school Aged Children

The research is a collaborative project by HKU and Yan Chai Hospital, funded by Social Welfare Development Fund of HKSAR. The study is designed as a prospective randomized control trial with the primary objective to investigate the efficacy of pediatric tuina (massage) on the functional constipation of pre-school aged children. Our study is a pragmatic research comparing the pediatrictuina(massage)treatment with care as usual, with the objectives of investigating 1. if a non-invasive, easy to learn pediatrictuina (massage) protocol could improve the constipation and related symptoms experienced by the pre-school age children 2. if there is a positive impact on the caregiver-children relationship and the children's behaviour (a sub-group analysis) when the constipation symptoms improved. The subjects of this study are pre-school age children (age 2-6) who are serviced by Yan Chai Hospital Social Service Department (YCHSS).The subjects will be openly recruited through the service units serving pre-school aged children under YCHSS. Rome IV criteria will be used to identify the children who suffer from constipation. I. Trial Design This is a multicentre, pragmatic randomized control trial (PRCT) with a prospective design Hypothesis 1: Applying regular pediatrictuina (massage) (3 times a week, for 4 weeks ) on pre-school aged children with functional constipation will improve one or more of the following symptoms. * Frequency of defecations * Episode of incontinence * Excessive stool retention * Painful or hard bowel movements * Presence of a large fecal mass in the rectum that may obstruct the toilet Hypothesis 2: The stress level of the caregiver of the study subjects improve as the constipation syndrome of the subjects improve. Hypothesis 3: The children with behavior problem who suffered from constipation will have less behavior issue when their functional constipation syndromes improved Total 160 pre-school aged children with functional constipation and