Treatment of Neck Pain with Collateral Meridian Acupressure Therapy: A Randomised, Sham-Intervention Controlled Trial

摘要

Background: Collateral Meridian Acupressure Therapy (CMAT) is a relatively new technique that has been developed to relieve intractable pain. Little research has been, however, conducted to examine its effect on neck pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of CMAT on neck pain. Method: In this randomised, sham-intervention control, patient-therapist blind trial, 60 patients who suffered from neck pain and had restricted neck movement were recruited. Participants were randomly allocated into the treatment group (n - 30) and control group (n = 30). CMAT was performed on the treatment group, while the control group received sham treatment. Severities of pain before and after the treatment were measured on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 5 (most severe pain). Chi-square and t-tests were used to analyse categorical and continuous data, respectively. Results: All participants completed the study. Prior to the treatment, there was no group difference in demographic or pain data. After the treatment, the severity of neck pain in the CMAT group (0.7±0.6) was significantly less than that in the control group (2.8+0.9). Conclusion: CMAT may induce an immediate analgesic effect on neck pain. Its long-term effect requires further research.