Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) published in Korea were reviewed to evaluate up-to-date evidence and the recommendations for cupping therapy (CT) to inform clinicians and researchers for future studies. There were 14 CPGs (allergic rhinitis, ankle sprain, cervical pain, chronic low back pain, cold hands and feet, facial nerve palsy, Hwabyung, knee osteoarthritis, lumbar herniated intervertebral disk, migraine, osteoporosis, postoperative syndrome, shoulder pain, and traffic accident injury) with 29 recommendations for CT determined from “low” to “moderate” rated evidence. The levels of evidence were mostly downgraded due to the risk of bias and imprecision. The majority of recommendations for CT were graded as B or C. This comprehensive analysis underscores the imperative need for robust clinical research, including randomized controlled trials and observational studies using real-world data to enhance the quality of the evidence for CT. In addition, recommendations providing definite phases or scope of the target conditions/diseases and treatment regimens should be employed. This work lays a foundational step towards integrating CT into evidence-based clinical practice, emphasizing strategic directions for future research to bridge the gap between evidence and practice.
Background Cervicobrachialgia is a painful condition commonly treated with medication and physiotherapy. The aim was to evaluate pain following electromagnetic and photontherapy, and examine patient energy profiles.
Methods There were 48 patients experiencing pain [Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score ≥ 4] who were not receiving medication and physiotherapy and were randomized into Test Group (GT); electromagnetism using a Kenkobio device (intensity = 0.055 mT/frequency = 60 Hz) and photon therapy; a photon therapy blanket, and Placebo Group (GP); the Kenkobio device was turned off and the blanket was not used. Pain was assessed using the VAS, before, immediately after treatment, and the following day. Algometry was also carried out before and after the treatment to understand the pain threshold at bilateral acupoints GB20 and GB21. The energy profile was assessed using Ryodoraku measurements before and after the session.
Results The GT achieved a greater reduction in pain the following day than GP. Both groups were equal for left GB20 and right GB21 points considering algometry and, after the intervention, a reduction in pain in the GT was noticed only in the left GB20 (CI [95%]: 0.09-0.99, p = 0.019). The average energy level was low and dropped further following treatment. Furthermore, energy from the Large Intestine Meridian tended towards balance in the GT compared with the GP [CI (95%): 0.58-15.75, p = 0.035]. No adverse effects were reported.
Conclusion The combined use of electromagnetic and photontherapy were effective in reducing pain in patients and promoted energy rebalancing.
Research in health care using secondary data is steadily increasing worldwide. In this study, secondary healthcare data was reviewed, so that the information can potentially be used for Korean medicine research. The characteristics of the data, including the variables related to Korean medicine and the method of obtaining data, were summarized. The Korean medicine variables were extracted from the Korean Medicine Utilization Survey, Korea Health Panel, Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Medical Service Experience Survey, and the health insurance claims data. Except for health insurance claims data, the data was obtained through relatively simple procedures. There were differences in the characteristics of each secondary data and the extent to which it was used in Korean medicine research. Many Korean medicine studies using secondary data will be conducted in the future and researchers must understand the characteristics of the data and analyze it appropriately.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Real-world data analysis on effectiveness of integrative therapies: A practical guide to study design and data analysis using healthcare databases Ye-Seul Lee, Yoon Jae Lee, In-Hyuk Ha Integrative Medicine Research.2023; 12(4): 101000. CrossRef
Trends in the treatment of fibromyalgia in South Korea between 2011 and 2018: a retrospective analysis of cross-sectional health insurance data Jin-Sil Yu, Eun-San Kim, Kyoung Sun Park, Yoon Jae Lee, Yeon Cheol Park, Dongwoo Nam, Eun-Jung Kim, In-Hyuk Ha BMJ Open.2023; 13(12): e071735. CrossRef