Abstract
In this single-center, parallel, randomized controlled trial, we aim to examine the effects and safety of motion style acupuncture treatment (MSAT; a combination of acupuncture and Doin therapy) on pain reduction and functional improvement in patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WADs). Ninety-seven patients with cervical pain admitted to the Bucheon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine, South Korea, due to acute whiplash injury were treated with integrative Korean medicine (IKM) with (MSAT group, 48 patients) or without (control group, 49 patients) an additional 3-day MSAT during hospitalization (5–14 days) and followed-up for 90 days. The mean numeric rating scale (NRS) scores of the MSAT and control groups at baseline were 5.67 (95% confidence interval (CI), 5.33, 6.01) and 5.44 (95% CI, 5.06, 5.82), respectively, and on day 5, 3.55 (95% CI, 3.04, 4.06) and 4.59 (95% CI, 4.10–5.07), respectively. The NRS change difference between the groups was −1.07 (95% CI, −1.76, −0.37). The rate of recovery of neck pain (NRS score change ≥ 2 points) was significantly faster in the MSAT than in the control group (log-rank test p = 0.0055). IKM treatment combined with MSAT may be effective in reducing the pain and improving the range of motion in patients with WADs.
Highlights
The term “whiplash-associated disorders” (WADs) was first introduced by the Quebec Task Force in 1995 and it refers to a wide variety of bony or soft tissue injuries that usually occur after a traffic accident [1]
In the motion style acupuncture treatment (MSAT) and control groups, the mean neck numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score decreased with time, from 5.67 and 5.44 at baseline to 1.41 and 1.05 at the follow-up day 90 in the MSAT and the control group, respectively
The difference in the mean neck pain NRS score between the two groups increased from −0.76 immediately after treatment to −1.07 at day 5 when all three MSAT sessions were completed
Summary
The term “whiplash-associated disorders” (WADs) was first introduced by the Quebec Task Force in 1995 and it refers to a wide variety of bony or soft tissue injuries that usually occur after a traffic accident [1]. WADs have emerged as a major socioeconomic problem in South Korea and worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for a fast and effective intervention to reduce the casualties due to WADs. South Korea has an integrated health care system that combines western and Korean traditional medicine, which are both covered by traffic accident insurance. The number of patients seeking Korean traditional medicine after a traffic accident and the related expenses have increased. Acupuncture treatment is the main method of Korean traditional medicine, and the existing studies based on the effects of acupuncture treatment on cervical pain after whiplash injury have generally highlighted its effectiveness [12,13,14]. We aim to examine the effect of MSAT combined with the integrative Korean medicine treatment (MSAT-IKM treatment) on pain reduction and functional improvement in patients with cervical pain after acute whiplash injury and to evaluate its safety in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). This study was conducted in accordance with the CONSORT 2010 and the STRICTA reporting guidelines
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