Vibrating capsule that ‘stirs colon to action’ found to alleviate constipation

According to the team, the advantage of the vibration-based constipation treatment is that it doesn’t interfere with the bacteria that make up the gut’s microbiome.

In contrast, most conventional constipation drugs act on the small intestine, causing it to increase secretions that go on to flood and help evacuate the colon.

Unfortunately, Dr Rao explained, these treatments end up “flushing more than the waste.”

Specifically, they also end up clearing out important bacteria in the gut which help support digestion, play a frontline defence role in the body’s immune system and help to enable our gut to talk to the brain.

With their initial study complete, the researchers are now exploring how to personalise the capsule, for example, so that the timing and duration of treatment best match the user’s normal eating schedule.

The devices may also be able to be adapted to target other organs and issues — such as gastroparesis, another painful condition in which the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestines stops even though there may be no obvious blockage at its root.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Gastroenterology.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1737888/constipation-alleviated-vibrating-capsule-stirs-colon-action-study-finds