title: Effectiveness of traditional Chinese "gua sha" therapy in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gua sha is a traditional East Asian healing technique where the body surface is press-stroked with a smooth-edged instrument to intentionally raise therapeutic petechiae. A traditional indication of Gua sha is neck pain; no data from controlled trials exist to support this claim. The researchers aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Gua sha in the symptomatic treatment of chronic neck pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as an open randomized controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was set in Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight outpatients (58.5±8.0 years; 41 female) with chronic mechanical neck pain were the subjects of the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomized into Gua sha (N=24) or control groups (N=24) and followed up for 7 days. Gua sha patients were treated once with Gua sha, while control patients were treated with a local thermal heat pad.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary outcome was change of neck pain severity after 1 week as assessed by visual analog scale. Secondary outcomes included pain at motion, the neck disability index (NDI) and quality-of-life (Short-Form [36] Health Survey).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neck pain severity after 1 week improved significantly better in the Gua sha group compared with the control group (group difference -29.9 mm, 95% confidence interval: -43.3; -16.6 mm; P<0.001). Significant treatment effects were also found for pain at motion, scores on the NDI, and dimensions of quality-of-life. The treatment was safe and well tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gua sha has beneficial short-term effects on pain and functional status in patients with chronic neck pain. The value of Gua sha in the long-term management of neck pain and related mechanisms remains to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Department of Internal Medicine V, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwickert
authors.forename: Arya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brunnhuber
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dobos
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Musial
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lüdtke
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michalsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016896:Treatment Outcome