"Chuna Therapy for Neck Pain Patients More Cost-Effective Than Painkillers and Physical Therapy"

Jasaeng Korean Medicine Hospital Spine and Joint Research Institute Announces Study on Cost-Effectiveness of Chuna Therapy

Medical staff at Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine are performing Chuna therapy on a patient with neck pain.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine Spine and Joint Research Institute recently announced on the 7th that a study found Chuna therapy, a non-surgical treatment for chronic neck pain (cervicalgia) common among modern people, to be more cost-effective than general painkillers and physical therapy.

The Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute conducted a study from September 2017 to June 2019 involving 108 patients with neck pain scoring 5 or higher on the NRS (Numeric Rating Scale) at four Jaseng Korean Medicine Hospital branches (Gangnam, Daejeon, Bucheon, Haeundae) and Gangdong Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital. The NRS is a pain scale expressed numerically from 0 to 10, with higher numbers indicating more severe pain. The patients were divided into two groups: the Chuna therapy group (54 patients) and the general treatment group (54 patients), each receiving treatment twice a week for five weeks, and were followed for one year from the treatment start date.

As a result, the QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Year) used as an evaluation index showed that the Chuna therapy group had a QALY of 0.860, which was 0.024 higher than the general treatment group’s 0.836. QALY represents the cost value of life expectancy adjusted for quality of life, with perfect health represented as 1 and death as 0. One year of perfect health is expressed as 1 QALY.

From the healthcare system perspective, the Chuna therapy group incurred a total cost of $11,217 to achieve 1 QALY. This amount is lower than the willingness-to-pay (WTP) per 1 QALY of $26,375 for Koreans, as surveyed by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. From a societal perspective, analyzing total costs over one year showed that the Chuna therapy group ($12,944) spent $2,131 less than the general treatment group ($15,075). The research team interpreted this as the high therapeutic effect of Chuna therapy reducing productivity loss.

Dr. Ha Inhyuk, director of the Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine Spine and Joint Research Institute, stated, “This study is significant because it used a pragmatic clinical trial method to reflect real clinical settings, allowing an objective economic evaluation in an environment close to actual treatment.” He added, “Furthermore, as evidence supporting the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of Chuna therapy has been strengthened, we hope that the expansion of coverage for Chuna therapy will be considered in the future to benefit the neck health of the public.”

This research paper was published in the May issue of the SCI(E)-level journal Frontiers in Medicine.

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