Can light therapy unblock the gut without surgery?

This trial investigates whether laser acupuncture, a non-invasive therapy that uses low-intensity light on traditional acupoints, can help people with adhesive small bowel obstruction—a common complication after abdominal surgery where scar tissue blocks the intestine. The study enrolls adults aged 20 to 80 with symptoms of mechanical obstruction, and compares laser acupuncture against a placebo in a double-blind, randomized design. The goal is to see if this therapy can improve the success rate of conservative treatment, reducing the need for nasogastric tube decompression or surgery, and shorten hospital stays.