Efficacy of Korean Medicine Combination Treatment on Recurrent Neck Pain After Medical Procedures: A Retrospective Study

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Korean medicine combination treatment on recurrent neck pain after medical procedures. Methods: This retrospective study included 158 inpatients of the Daejeon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine who were diagnosed with "Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy (M50.1)" between December 14th, 2017 and May 29th, 2019. The patients were assigned to 1 of 2 groups based on whether they received medical procedures on the cervical spine at least once. Korean medicine combination treatment was evaluated using EuroQol-5 dimensions index (EQ-5D), numeric rating scale (NRS), and neck disability index (NDI) scores. Results: Before and after treatment, the patients who received medical procedures on the cervical spine at least once before admission (Group A) showed a statistically significant difference in the NDI and NRS scores but not in the EQ-5D scores. This was similar to the patients who had not received medical procedures on the cervical spine before admission (Group B) they showed a statistically significant difference in the NDI and NRS scores but not in the EQ-5D scores. When comparing the results of Group A and Group B before and after treatment, no statistically significant differences were observed in the EQ-5D, NDI, and NRS scores. Conclusion: Korean medicine combination treatment improves the neck functional disability of patients who suffer from recurrent neck pain despite patients having undergone medical procedures.