Research Progress on Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Functional Constipation

Abstract

With changes in people’s lifestyles and dietary habits, constipation has gradually become a common condition in social life. Constipation is primarily characterized by symptoms such as prolonged bowel movement cycles, hard stools, reduced frequency of bowel movements, difficulty in defecation, and a sense of incomplete evacuation. It may also be accompanied by symptoms such as abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, and bad breath. Constipation not only leads to anorectal diseases but, in severe cases, may also affect patients’ physical and mental health, causing depression, anxiety, and other issues. Clinically, constipation can be classified into functional constipation and organic constipation. This article primarily discusses functional constipation. Although there is no dedicated chapter on constipation in the Huangdi Neijing, there are extensive discussions on its pathogenesis and treatment. Based on the theory of deficiency-excess pattern differentiation in the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon and combined with clinical diagnostic and therapeutic experience, this article summarizes that the pathogenesis of functional constipation is closely related to the five zang organs and six fu organs. The treatment principle should follow ‘draining excess and tonifying deficiency,’ aiming to provide new insights for the treatment of functional constipation.