Chuna therapy for musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials in Korean literature.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of Chuna for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain as reported in Korean literature.


METHODS
We conducted an electronic literature search using seven Korean databases and manually searched six traditional Korean medicine journals. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane criteria.


RESULTS
Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the study. Compared with standard care, three RCTs suggested favorable effects of Chuna on neck pain due to a hypolordotic cervical spine, low back pain caused by traffic accidents, and low back pain. In contrast, compared with standard care, three RCTs failed to show positive effects on temporomandibular joint disorder, mandibular movement, and neck pain caused by traffic accidents.


CONCLUSIONS
Currently, the evidence of the effectiveness of Chuna for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain is not convincing. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted to determine its effectiveness.
Brain Disease Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 305-811, South Korea.
Tae-Woong
TW
Moon
Tae-Young
TY
Choi
Tae-Yong
TY
Park
Myeong Soo
MS
Lee
D006801:Humans; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D017594:Publication Bias; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome