• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.530-536
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• 2018

We present two cases of unexpected postoperative intractable cervicalgia due to over-sized implant insertion during simple anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) or artificial disc replacement (ADR). These patients experienced severe cervicalgia mostly related to their neck motion even after standard cervical operations. In both cases, the restored disc heights after the operations were prominently greater than the preoperative disc heights. The patients had not responded to any of the conservative treatments, and unloading of these excessively distracted segments through ultimate revision surgery led to dramatic pain relief. This report emphasizes the increase in distractional forces that takes place after a standard ACDF or ADR, as well as the importance of a proper sized implant. It also includes the reviews of other biomechanical or clinical reports dealing with this issue, thereby cautioning the surgeons not to disregard these factors, which might have an adverse effect in patients with cervicalgia even after radiographically successful cervical procedures.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-64
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• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to provide a clinical evidence base for the effectiveness of the muscle energy technique (MET) for cervicalgia. Methods : We conducted a search of 10 electronic databases up to April 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that performed the MET for cervicalgia were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB) tool. Results : Six RCTs met the inclusion criteria. The literature review of these studies showed favorable results for the use of the MET in comparison to other manual medicines. Conclusions : In 6 RCTs, we found that the MET was effective in cervicalgia treatment. However, most of the included studies had an unclear risk of bias. Therefore, well-designed RCTs are necessary to obtain a higher evidence level of the MET use in cervicalgia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.837-842
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• 2021

An atlantoaxial subluxation from the unstable Os odontoideum by the failure of proper integrations between the embryological somites might be a commonly reported pathology. However, its suspicious origin or paralleled occurrence with other congenital anomalies of vertebral body might be a relatively rare phenomenon. The authors present two cases, who simply presented with clinical signs of prolonged, intractable cervicalgia without any neurological deficits, revealed this rare feature of C1-2 subluxation from the unstable, orthotropic type of Os odontoideum that coincide with congenitally fused cervical vertebral bodies between C2-3. Surprisingly, in one case, when traced from the lower cervical down to the thoracic-lumbar levels during the preoperative work-up process, was also compromised with multi-level butterfly vertebrae formations. Presented cases highlight the association of various congenital vertebrae anomalies and the rationale to fuse only affected joints.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.7-14
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze trends in domestic studies on pharmacopuncture therapy for treating cervical disease. Methods: This study was carried out on original copies and abstracts of theses listed in databases or published until July 2014. The search was made on the Oriental medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS) the National Digital Science Library (NDSL), and the Korean traditional knowledge portal. Search words were 'pain on cervical spine', 'cervical pain', 'ruptured cervical disk', 'cervical disc disorder', 'stiffness of the neck', 'cervical disk', 'whiplash injury', 'cervicalgia', 'posterior cervical pain', 'neck disability', 'Herniated Nucleus Pulposus (HNP)', and 'Herniated Intervertebral Disc (HIVD)'. Results: Twenty-five clinical theses related to pharmacopuncture were selected and were analyzed by year according to the type of pharmacopuncture used, the academic journal in which the publication appeared, and the effect of pharmacopuncture therapy. Conclusion: The significant conclusions are as follows: (1) Pharmacopunctures used for cervical pain were Bee venom pharmacopuncture, Carthami-flos pharmacopuncture, Scolopendra pharmacopuncture, Ouhyul pharmacopuncturen, Hwangryun pharmacopuncture, Corpus pharmacopuncture, Soyeom pharmacopuncture, Hwangryunhaedoktang pharmacopuncture, Shinbaro phamacopuncture. (2) Randomized controlled trials showed that pharmacopuncture therapy combined with other methods was more effective. (3) In the past, studies oriented toward Bee venom pharmacopuncture were actively pursued, but the number of studies on various other types of pharmacopuncture gradually began to increase. (4) For treating a patient with cervical pain, the type of pharmacopuncture to be used should be selected based on the cause of the disease and the patient's condition.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.150-162
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• 2023

Meniere's disease is characterized by episodic vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus and ear fullness. The main pathological finding is endolymphatic hydrops, but the etiology of disease and effective treatment methods are still disputed. Recently, Cervical spine disorders(CSD) and Temporomandibular disorders(TMD) have been attracting attention as one of the causes of Meniere's disease. A 65-year-old female Meniere patient with musculoskeletal problems in the cervical and mandible area was treated by Korean medical therapies including pharmacoacupuncture treatment. After 5 weeks of treatment, there was no meaningful change in hearing level evaluated with pure tone audiometry, but the subjective symptoms of Meniere improved significantly. Numerical rating scale (NRS) decreased from 10 to 0 for hearing loss, 10 to 3 for tinnitus and 8 to 3 for ear fullness. Also NRS of cervicalgia was reduced from 5 to 0 after treatment. The result suggests that the Korean medical therapy including pharmacoapuncture targeting CSD and TMD could be safe and effective method for patients with Meniere's disease.