Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effectiveness of Korean medical combination treatment for cervical disc herniation.
Methods: This is an observational study. 102 patients diagnosed with cervical disc herniation by MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) were investigated from January, 2015 through to December, 2015 at Daejeon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine. They were sorted according to the distribution of sex, age, causing factor, the period of disease, admission day and pain area. All patients were treated with acupuncture, Chuna treatment, and herbal therapy and physical therapy during the admission period. After treatment, NRS (Numeric Rating Scale), NDI (Neck Disability Index) and EQ-5D were assessed to evaluate the treatment efficacy.
Results: There were more females than Males with a ratio of 1: 1.37, the age of fifty was the most with 35.29 %, reason unknown was the most with 72.55 % and the subacute stage was the most with 38.24 %. According to disc herniation types, patients with protruded disc types were the most with 66.67 % and a lesion of C5/6 was the most with 41.18 %. For patients diagnosed with cervical disc herniation, neck and shoulder pain NRS decreased from 6.43 ± 1.77 to 3.96 ± 1.96(p<0.001) and radiating pain NRS decreased from 5.64 ± 1.96 to 3.57 ± 1.88 (p<0.001). NDI decreased from 41.72 ± 14.04 to 30.84 ± 15.34(p<0.001), and the EQ-5D index increased from 0.68 ± 0.17 to 0.79 ± 0.14(p<0.001) after treating cervical disc patients.
Conclusion: Korean medical combination treatment might be effective in decreasing pain and raising the life quality of patients with cervical disc herniation.
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