Abstract
Heat application in the lumbar region using hot moist compresses is clinically used for the induction of bowel movement and flatulence. In this study, we developed a heat- and steam-generating sheet, which provides heat and steam more simply, safely, and stably than hot moist compresses, and examined the effects of the sheet applied to the abdominal region on bowel movement. The sheet is applied to the abdominal region using a holder, and maintains a temperature of 38-40℃ on the surface of the skin in contact with the sheet for more than 5 hours.
The subjects were 59 middle-aged and elderly females with irregular defecation, with a mean age of 54.5. The sheet was applied to the abdominal region once per day during the examination period of 3 weeks. As a result, the number of subjects with constipation decreased from 26 to 9, and those with flatulence from 23 to 8. In 59 subjects, defecation increased from 4.1 days/week to 5.1 days/week on average (p＜0.01). These findings indicated that the heat- and steam-generating sheet produced parasympathetic predominance, enhanced gastric motility, and improved defecation, suggesting its usefulness for the improvement of constipation, flatulence, and defecation in particular.
