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. 2021 Jul 28:2021:5535857.
doi: 10.1155/2021/5535857. eCollection 2021.

Comparative Effectiveness of Collaborative Treatment with Korean and Western Medicine for Low Back Pain: A Prospective Cohort Study

Hye-Yoon Lee  1   2 , Min Kyoung Cho  1 , NamKwen Kim  3 , Se Yeon Lee  3 , Na-Gyeong Gong  3 , Eun Hye Hyun  3
Affiliations

Comparative Effectiveness of Collaborative Treatment with Korean and Western Medicine for Low Back Pain: A Prospective Cohort Study

Hye-Yoon Lee et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. .

Abstract

In Korea, low back pain is the ailment that is most frequently treated using collaborative care regimens that include aspects of Western and traditional Korean medicine. As part of a national pilot project on the collaboration between Western and Korean medicine, we aimed to investigate the clinical effectiveness of collaborative treatment and compare it with treatment methods that involved only Korean or Western Medicine practices for patients with low back pain. This nationwide, multicenter, prospective, observational, and comparative study spanned 8 weeks, during which patients with low back pain were evaluated at three time points (at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks). The primary outcome was low back pain-related disability measured by the Oswestry Disability Index, while the secondary outcomes included severity of low back pain (as on a numeric rating scale) and quality of life (as per a 5-level EuroQol-5 dimensions questionnaire). We analyzed 150 patients (including 129 per-protocol cases) and found that the Oswestry Disability Index and 5-level EuroQol-5 dimensions showed statistically significant differences over time between the collaborative treatment group and the sole treatment group after adjusting for sex, income level, and age. Conversely, the numeric rating and EuroQol-visual analog scales showed no significant between-group differences over time. Based on our findings, we believe that collaborative treatment that includes parallelly administered aspects of Western and Korean medicine can benefit patients with low back pain by facilitating functional improvements and lead to a better quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of patient selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean changes in ODI during the follow-up period. ODI: Oswestry Disability Index.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean changes in NRS during the follow-up period. NRS: numeric rating scale.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean changes in EQ-5D-5L during the follow-up period. EQ-5D-5L: 5-level EuroQol-5 dimensions.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mean changes in EQ-VAS during the follow-up period. EQ-VAS: EuroQol-visual analog scale.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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