A Systematic Review of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Treatments for Nonspecific Chronic Neck Pain

Abstract

Objectives : The aim of this study was to describe the details and to assess the clinical evidence of acupuncture and moxibustion for non-specific chronic neck pain. Methods : We searched seven databases including Korean, English, and Chinese databases through July 2016. Studies using acupuncture, moxibustion, pharmacopuncture, electroacupuncture, auricular-acupuncture, acupressure for non-specific chronic neck pain were included. Only controlled clinical trials or randomized clinical trials were assessed. Study design, number of subject, inclusion criteria, intervention, and results were extracted. In addition, details of intervention including needle type, retention time, acupoints were analyzed. Results : Total 64 studies(39 acupuncture, 9 laser, 6 pharmaco-acupuncture, 3 electro-acupuncture, 3 auricular-acupuncture, 3 moxibustion, 1 acupressure) were included. Among 39 acupuncture studies, 35 used acupuncture as sole intervention. Sham treatment was the most common intervention for control group, followed by no intervention. Various outcome including pain, disability, quality of life, range of motion was used as outcome measurement. The effect of acupuncture and moxibustion was different depending on the type of control and outcome measurement. The most commonly used method in acupuncture for neck pain was GB21, SI3, GB20, LI4, BL11 acupoints, 10∼30 mm insertion depth, 20∼30 retention time, and 1∼2 times per week. Conclusions : Analyzing the details of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment could be helpful for researches and clinics. Further studies should consider the characteristics of study design, intervention, and outcome to assess the effect of TKM.

Thread Embedded Acupuncture for Non-Specific Posterior Neck Pain: A PRISMA-Compliant Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The prevalence of non-specific posterior neck pain (NPNP) increases with age. 2 Recently, the prevalence of NPNP has been increasing because of the increased use of computers and smart-phones. 3 Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, spinal manipulation and pain control medication can be used for treating NPNP.…”