Abstract
Backgrounds : In 2017, National Health Insurance implemented the pilot insuring project for Chuna manual therapy(CMT). 65 Korean Medicine(KM) hospitals and clinics were selected in the project to monitor the provision of insured CMT. Objectives : This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CMT for low back pain provided in the real world setting. Methods : Patients with low back pain who agreed to participated in the study were enrolled and requested to complete questionnaires. Patients who received CMT regardless of receiving other KM therapies were classified to Chuna group, and patient who received KM therapies without CMT to KM group. Pain(pain-VAS) and back function(KODI, Oswestry disability index-Korean version), quality of life were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Additionally, patients who received CMT twice and more, and who's pain-VAS 20 and over were included, and patients who used pain injection were excluded in the analysis. Results : Of 371 patients who completed all questionnaire (mean age=42.6years, SD=12.45; 61% female), 96 were excluded, 170 were in Chuna group, and 105 were in KM group. Proportions of patients who had low back pain for more than twelve weeks in the Chuna group and KM group were 57.7% and 24.8%, respectively. Pain and back function were significantly improved on 4weeks and 8weeks in both groups, but there was no difference between two groups. For the patients in the sub-acute and chronic stage(>=12 weeks), change of total KODI scores in the Chuna group was higher than KM group(p=0.013) at 4weeks. Conclusions : CMT with other KM therapies can improve back function in the sub-acute and chronic patients. For insurance policy decision, economic evaluation of CMT is needed.
