ABSTRACT
Background: Neck pain is one of the most frequently reported complaints of the musculoskeletal system. Treatments for neck pain are varied, including physiotherapy, chiropractic, analgesics, and other drugs or steroid injections. Neck pain frequently recurs in 50% to 80% of people. Symptoms of neck pain range from mild discomfort to severe disability and can interfere with daily activities and quality of life. Moreover, incidents of neck pain can be associated with headache, arm pain or even neurological deficits. Acupuncture and other traditional Chinese techniques have been widely used as an alternative to more conventional treatments for musculoskeletal pain. This case report investigates the effectiveness of a combination of acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and tuina in treating chronic neck pain. Case presentation: An 85-year-old patient diagnosed with cervical spondylosis was suffering from chronic neck pain and muscle spasm for several years. He had undergone all conventional treatments for spondylosis without any long-lasting effects. He was interested in trying out traditional Chinese techniques. He was treated for 8 weeks with Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Tui Na and Cupping. The treatment outcomes were measured on Day1, after 4 weeks and at the end of 8 weeks of treatment. The primary outcome measures used were Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI). After 8 weeks of treatment, the patient reported full recovery from pain and acute spasms of his neck muscles. VAS score reduced from 5 to 1. Neck Disability Index score reduced from 20 to 08. His quality of life improved as measured by SF-12 score which reduced from 33 to 29. Conclusion: Traditional Chinese therapies can be undoubtedly used as an adjunct to conventional therapies like physiotherapy or chiropractic to treat chronic neck pain. However, long term studies are needed to validate the findings of this study on a larger population.