Ironing Therapy Combined with Acupoint Application for Treating Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Complicated with Functional Constipation

In this study, we put forward a protocol for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) who experience functional constipation during the stable stages, which combines the traditional Chinese Medicine Ironing Therapy with Acupoint plaster treatment. The Ironing Therapy can be briefly described as a therapeutic operation that combines Chinese herbal medicine with heat and some Chinese traditional massage techniques to directly contact the skin surface. This combination therapy has been shown to significantly relieve constipation symptoms in randomized controlled trials. Moreover, it is easy to implement, has few side effects, and is cost-effective, thus serving as an effective alternative method for managing constipation in COPD patients. Grounded in traditional Chinese medicine theory, this paper systematically elaborates on the methodology of integrating Ironing Therapy with Acupoint for treating constipation in COPD patients, including acupoint selection, key operational aspects, treatment duration, and specific procedures.