title: Long-Term Course of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) Patients Receiving Integrative Korean Medicine Treatment: A 1 Year Prospective Observational Multicenter Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With increase of spine surgeries, failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) prevalence is also rising. While complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used for low back pain (LBP), there are no studies reporting use of integrative Korean medicine in FBSS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with pain continuing after back surgery or recurring within 1 year and visual analogue scale (VAS) of LBP or leg pain of ≥6 (total n = 120) were recruited at 2 hospital sites from November 2011 to September 2014. Weekly sessions of integrative Korean medicine treatment were conducted for 16 weeks (herbal medicine, acupuncture/electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture/bee venom pharmacopuncture, and Chuna manual therapy) with additional follow-ups at 24 weeks and 1 year. Outcome measures included VAS of LBP and leg pain (primary outcome), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Short-Form 36 (SF-36), medical use, and patient global impression of change (PGIC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  VAS of LBP and leg pain improved at 6 months (LBP from 6.1±2.0 at baseline to 2.9±2.3; and leg pain from 5.4±2.6 to 2.4±2.5, respectively). Eighty patients (66.7%) showed improvement of 50% or more in main pain of LBP or leg pain from baseline. Disability and quality of life also improved at 6 months (ODI from 41.3±12.3 at baseline to 23.6±13.6; and SF-36 from 42.8±14.5 to 62.7±16.8). At 1 year follow-up, conventional medical management use decreased, improvement in pain and disability was maintained, and 79.2% reported improvement of PGIC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite limitations as an observational study, integrative Korean medicine treatment showed positive results in pain, function, and quality of life of FBSS patients.
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jinho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joon-Shik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Me-Riong
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Areum
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.|University of Science & Technology (UST), Korean Medicine Life Science, Campus of Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Cheul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Heung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In-Hyuk
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5020-6723
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Ha
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055111:Failed Back Surgery Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome