OBJECTIVE: To compare therapeutic effects of abdominal electroacupuncture (EA) and western medicine on poststroke constipation. METHODS: Eighty cases were randomly divided into an EA group and a medication group, 40 cases in each group. The EA group were treated with EA at Daheng (SP 15), Fujie (SP 14), Tianshu (ST 25), Shuidao (ST 28), etc., once a day, 30 min each session, and the medication group with oral administration of 10 mg Cisapride, thrice each day. Seven days constituted one course. After 2 courses, clinical therapeutic effects were evaluated by cumulative scores of symptoms. RESULTS: The total effective rate of 92.5% in the EA group was significantly better than 72.5% in the medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the cumulative scores of clinical symptoms significantly decreased in the two groups (P<0.05) and the improving degrees of symptoms in the EA group was significantly better than that in the medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Abdominal electroacupuncture has a definite therapeutic effect on poststroke constipation, accelerating gastrointestinal movement.