A 90-year-old man with severe COVID-19 developed a serious condition where his colon became dangerously swollen without any physical blockage. Standard treatments like fasting and medications weren’t working, and his belly swelled to 93 centimeters. Doctors decided to try acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine technique using thin needles. Just one hour after treatment, the patient started having bowel movements again. After nine days of daily acupuncture sessions, a CT scan showed his intestines were no longer blocked. While this is just one patient’s story, it suggests acupuncture might help elderly patients with this serious COVID complication when surgery isn’t an option.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether acupuncture could help a very elderly patient whose colon became dangerously swollen as a complication of severe COVID-19
  • Who participated: One 90-year-old male patient with severe COVID-19 who developed acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (a condition where the colon swells without being blocked)
  • Key finding: The patient’s bowel function improved within one hour of acupuncture treatment, and imaging confirmed the swelling resolved after nine days of daily sessions
  • What it means for you: This single case suggests acupuncture might be worth considering for elderly patients with this rare COVID complication, especially when surgery is too risky. However, this is just one patient’s experience, so much more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions

The Research Details

This is a case report, which means doctors documented what happened with one specific patient. The 90-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with severe COVID-19 and developed acute colonic pseudo-obstruction—a serious condition where the colon becomes extremely swollen even though nothing is physically blocking it. The doctors first tried standard treatments: keeping him from eating, using a tube to drain his stomach, enemas, and other supportive care. When these approaches failed and his belly swelling got worse (reaching 93 centimeters around), they decided to try acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine technique where very thin needles are placed at specific points on the body. They used a technique called electroacupuncture, which adds a gentle electrical current at 5 Hz (cycles per second).

The acupuncture points were chosen based on traditional Chinese medicine principles. The patient received daily acupuncture treatments. Doctors tracked his symptoms, bowel function, and used CT scans to monitor the swelling in his colon. They documented everything that happened throughout his treatment and recovery.

Case reports are important because they can identify new treatment possibilities that doctors might not have considered. This is especially valuable when patients aren’t responding to standard treatments and have limited options. For very elderly patients like this 90-year-old, surgery is often too risky, so finding alternative treatments is critical. This case suggests that acupuncture might be a safe option worth exploring further in controlled research studies.

This is a single case report, which is the lowest level of scientific evidence. It shows what happened to one person, but we can’t know if acupuncture would work the same way for other patients. The patient also received standard medical care alongside acupuncture, so we can’t be certain which treatment (or combination) helped most. To truly understand if acupuncture works for this condition, researchers would need to study many more patients in carefully controlled studies. However, the fact that improvement happened quickly after acupuncture and was confirmed by imaging is encouraging.

What the Results Show

One hour after the first acupuncture treatment, the patient began having bowel movements—something that hadn’t happened despite all the standard medical treatments. This was a dramatic and immediate response. The doctors then gave acupuncture daily, and the patient continued to have regular bowel movements. By the third day of acupuncture treatment, he was able to start eating small amounts of nutrition through a feeding tube, which is an important step toward recovery.

Nine days after starting acupuncture, a CT scan (a detailed imaging test) confirmed that the dangerous swelling in his colon had resolved and there was no intestinal obstruction. This objective medical imaging provided solid evidence that the condition had improved. The patient’s abdominal swelling, which had reached 93 centimeters, also decreased. These improvements happened after standard treatments had failed, suggesting that acupuncture may have made the difference in this case.

The patient was able to transition from complete fasting to receiving nutrition, which is crucial for recovery and survival. The fact that acupuncture appeared safe with no reported adverse effects is also important, especially in a very elderly patient with severe illness. The doctors noted that the specific selection of acupuncture points based on traditional Chinese medicine principles and the use of electrical stimulation at 5 Hz frequency seemed to be important factors in the treatment’s success.

Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction as a COVID-19 complication is rare but serious, with very high mortality rates even with aggressive medical treatment. Most cases require prolonged intensive care unit stays and multiple medications. This case is notable because it shows a potential alternative or complementary approach when standard treatments fail. While acupuncture has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, its use for this specific COVID-related complication is unusual and not well-documented in modern medical literature. This case adds to growing interest in exploring complementary treatments for severe COVID complications.

This is a single case report involving one patient, so we cannot know if these results would apply to other people. The patient received both standard medical care and acupuncture simultaneously, making it impossible to know which treatment caused the improvement or if both together were necessary. We don’t know the patient’s complete medical history, other medications, or other factors that might have influenced recovery. There’s no comparison group of similar patients who didn’t receive acupuncture. The patient was 90 years old, so results might differ in younger patients. Finally, case reports can sometimes be influenced by reporting bias—doctors may be more likely to report cases where treatment worked than cases where it didn’t.

The Bottom Line

Based on this single case, acupuncture may be considered as a potential option for elderly patients with acute colonic pseudo-obstruction related to COVID-19 who cannot have surgery and are not responding to standard treatments. However, confidence in this recommendation is LOW because it’s based on just one patient. Patients and doctors should discuss acupuncture as a complementary approach alongside standard medical care, not as a replacement. More research with multiple patients is essential before making firm recommendations.

This case is most relevant to: (1) elderly patients with severe COVID-19 complications affecting the colon, (2) doctors treating patients who aren’t responding to standard therapies, (3) patients who cannot undergo surgery due to age or health conditions, and (4) researchers interested in complementary medicine approaches. This case should NOT be used to suggest that acupuncture can replace standard medical treatment or that it will work for everyone. People with other types of bowel obstruction or different causes should not assume these results apply to them.

In this case, improvement was remarkably fast—bowel function returned within one hour of the first treatment. However, complete resolution took nine days of daily treatment. In other patients, the timeline could be very different. Recovery from severe COVID-19 complications is typically slow, so realistic expectations should be measured in days to weeks, not hours.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Users could track daily bowel movements (frequency and consistency), abdominal bloating or discomfort on a 1-10 scale, and abdominal measurements if applicable. This would help identify patterns and whether acupuncture treatments correlate with symptom improvement.
  • If considering acupuncture for gastrointestinal issues, users could log: (1) acupuncture session dates and times, (2) specific points treated, (3) electrical frequency used if applicable, (4) symptoms before and after each session, and (5) any dietary changes or other treatments being used simultaneously.
  • Over 2-4 weeks, track whether bowel function improves, bloating decreases, and overall comfort increases. Compare weeks 1-2 to weeks 3-4 to see if there’s a trend. Share this data with healthcare providers to help them assess whether acupuncture is helping and whether to continue, adjust, or stop treatment.

This case report describes what happened with one specific patient and should not be interpreted as proof that acupuncture will work for everyone with similar conditions. Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction is a serious medical emergency requiring immediate hospital care and standard medical treatment. Acupuncture should only be considered as a complementary approach under the supervision of qualified healthcare providers, never as a replacement for emergency medical care or standard treatments. Always consult with your doctor before starting acupuncture or any new treatment, especially if you have severe illness, are elderly, or are taking multiple medications. Results may vary significantly between individuals based on age, overall health, severity of illness, and other factors. This single case does not provide sufficient evidence to change standard medical practice.