For chronic neck pain, Chuna Manual therapy yields better results than usual care: JAMA

The primary outcome was the difference in visual analog scale (VAS) score for chronic neck pain between baseline and 5 weeks after randomization.

The results of the study are as follows:

• At 5 weeks after randomization, manual therapy showed statistically superior results compared with usual care in terms of pain, function, and quality of life (difference in the European Quality of Life–5 Dimension 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) scores, −0.07 points; 95% CI, −0.11 to −0.02 points).
• Regarding the 1-year cumulative values measured using the area under the curve analyses, superior outcomes were attained in the manual therapy group in terms of the numerical rating scale for chronic neck pain, Neck Disability Index, Neck Pain Questionnaire, and EQ-5D-5L scores.

The researchers concluded that for patients with chronic neck pain, Chuna manual therapy was more effective than usual care in terms of pain and functional recovery at 5 weeks and 1 year after randomization. These results support the need to consider recommending manual therapies as primary care treatments for chronic neck pain.

Reference:

Chuna Manual Therapy vs Usual Care for Patients With Nonspecific Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial by Jinho Lee published in the JAMA Netw Open.

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13757