• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2016

Differential diagnosis of posterior neck pain is very challenging based on symptoms and physical examination only. Retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis is a rare and frequently misdiagnosed entity in various causes of neck pain. It results from calcium hydroxyapatite deposition in the longus colli muscle which is characterized by severe neck pain, painful restriction of neck movement, dysphagia, and odynophagia. We herein report a case of a patient with acute retropharyngeal calcific tendinitis, who complained of posterior neck pain, initially diagnosed and treated as a myofascial neck pain syndrome.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2000

Purpose : Posterior Neck Pain and Back Pain are common diseases in human daily life. For reducting symptom and treatment of these diseases, many methods have been used and studied until now. The mechanisms of Ceragem Master Heat Bed(R)(Ceragem Co. Seoul, Korea) are infrared-heat therapy from natural nephrite and pressure therapy by up-down movement of natural nephrite ball. Through this study, authors would evaluate the clinical effectiveness of Ceragem Master Heat Bed(CMHB) on relieving posterior neck pain and back pain. Materials and methods : From 12-01-2000 to 01-13-2001, posterior neck pain and back pain patients were selected for experiment group(23patients) and control group(14patients). In both group, Visual Analog Scale(VAS) of pre-treatment stage is above 5 points. Experiment group were cared with acupuncture therapy, buhang therapy and CMHB. Control group were managed with only acupuncture therapy and buhang therapy. They were treated more than three times at least. At pre-treatment and post-treatment stage, we measured VAS for individual patients, and then compared effect of treatment in experiment group and in control group. Statistical analysis was preformed using SAS program. Results : In this study, a mean difference of VAS between pre-treatment and post-treatment stage was large in experiment(CMHB) group more than in control group(p〈0.01). Conclusion : Experiment(CMHB) group was more effective pain relief than control group in the treatment of posterior neck pain and back pain. CMHB was available for stimultaneous application of heat therapy and pressure massage together that gave another effects of mental stability and fatigue recovery. As the results of this study, CMHB could be used as a helpful treatment modality for posterior neck pain and back pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.258-261
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• 2012

Posterior neck pain is a common complaint of patients in the pain clinic. The atlas (C1) burst fracture is known to be a cause of posterior neck pain and instability. Although the atlas burst fracture and instability can be discovered by plain X-rays which show lateral mass displacement or widening of the atlantodental interval, assessment of an atlas burst fracture can be difficult if there is no instability in the imaging study. Here we report a case of a 46-year-old female patient who had complained of sustained posterior neck pain for 6 months. Plain X-rays showed only disc space narrowing at C4/5 and C5/6, without any cervical instability. However, an unrecognized C1 lateral mass fracture was detected by CT and MRI. The patient's pain was then successfully treated after atlantoaxial joint injection with a C2 DRG block.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.57-60
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• 2011

Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment of nervous tissue has been proposed as a less neurodestructive technique alternative to continuous RF heat lesioning. Recently, clinical reports using PRF have shown favorable effects in the treatment of a variety of focal pain areas, even in non-nervous tissues; however, the mechanism of effect underlying this treatment to non-nervous tissue remains unclear. We report the case of a 67-year-old male who presented with pain reliving point in the posterior neck. The patient had pain in the posterior neck for 3 years. The pain subsided with pressure applied to a point in the posterior neck. There were no specific abnormal findings on laboratory testing and radiologic examinations. After PRF treatment to the pain-relieving point, he had pain relief which lasted more than 5 months.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.9-18
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was performed to evaluate the effects of the acupuncture therapy in combination with Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy on acute whiplash injury by traffic accident. And thermal change of posterior neck and shoulder was observed. Methods : The clinical study was conducted to 20 cases of acute whiplash injury patients who had been admitted in Dept. of Acupuncture and Moxibusion, Woosuk University Hospital from December 1, 2010 to May 31, 2011. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. In one group(test group), patients were treated with the acupuncture therapy in combination with Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy. And in the other group(control group), patients were treated with acupuncture therapy only. To estimate the efficacy of treatments, visual analog scale(VAS), neck disability index(NDI) of posterior neck pain were checked. And also thermal change of posterior neck and shoulder was observed by digital infrared thermographic imaging(DITI). Results : Both group represented effective improvement in VAS and NDI of posterior neck pain. Especially, test group is more effective than control group in VAS comparison, statistically. In test group, temperature of posterior neck and shoulder was decreased after treatments. But there was no significant difference between two groups on thermographic change. Conclusions : Through this study, Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy is considered to be effective for reducing pain in acute whiplash injury patients. And after Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy, temperature of posterior neck and shoulder show a tendency to decrease.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.193-198
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• 2001

Background: Anterior atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) is a frequent phenomenon in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). AAS compresses the C2 ganglion or nerve and is a cause of posterior neck pain or occipital headache. Methods: We selected RA patients that had developed posterior neck pain or occipital headache caused by AAS. AAS was diagnosed by an increase of ADI (atlantodental interval). A distance of 3 mm or more was considered significant. Patients with vertical subluxation or symptoms suggestive of myelopathy were excluded. Before C2 RF ganglionotomy, we proceeded with a C2 ganglion block or greater occipital nerve block used by local anesthetics. For C2 RF ganglionotomy, the patient was placed in the supine position on a fluoroscopic table. A 100 mm, 4 mm active tip electrode was chosen. Following sensory stimulation at 0.2 to 0.6 V, the lesion was performed at a temperature of $60^{\circ}C$ to $65^{\circ}C$ for 60 sec. We followed up the patient after 6 months later. Results: All cases were female and the average duration of RA was 8.5 years. The duration of posterior neck pain or occipital headache was 1-8 months. The average ADI was 4.2 mm and the McGregor index was 3.3 mm on the average. In all cases, the score on the 4 point Likert scale was 4 (pain free) during the follow-up period. Conclusions: We found that the occipital headache or posterior neck pain caused by AAS in rheumatoid arthritis patients was alleviated over a short term follow up. C2 RF ganglionotomy is suggested as an effective palliative treatment for AAS in RA patients.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.85-92
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this research was to compare remote and near acupuncture point needling with near acupuncture point needling acupuncture on posterior neck pain treatment. Methods : We divided 36 patients with posterior neck pain patient into two groups and treated Group A with near acupuncture and remote acupuncture point needling and Group B with near acupuncture point needling. The efficacy of treatment was measured by VAS scores and NDI scores of before and after 5 days to start treatment. Results : Both group A and B represented effective improvement in VAS and NDI of neck pain. And group A is more effective than B group statistically. Conclusions : It was suggested that near acupuncture and remote acupuncture point needling might have more effect compared with near acupuncture point needling acupuncture on posterior neck pain treatment.

• Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.957-963
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• 2015

Objective To compare the pain-reducing effect of forest bathing alone versus forest bathing in combination with stretching and strengthening exercises in patients with chronic posterior neck pain. Methods Sixty-four subjects with posterior neck pain that had lasted more than 3 months were enrolled. They were randomly divided into a forest bathing alone (FBA) group and a forest bathing with exercise (FBE) group; each group included 32 subjects. All subjects from both groups walked every morning in the forest for about 2 hours for 5 days. In the afternoon, the FBE group did a stretching and strengthening exercise for about 4 hours; the FBA group had free time in the woods. Visual analog scale (VAS) on one day, VAS over the previous week, neck disability index (NDI), EuroQol 5D-3L VAS (EQ VAS) and index (EQ index), McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ), the number of trigger points in the posterior neck region (TRPs), and the range of motion of the cervical spine were evaluated on the first and last day of the program and compared between the two groups. Results The number of TRPs were significantly reduced in the FBE group compared with the FBA group (p=0.013). However, the other scales showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion When patients with chronic posterior neck pain underwent a short-term forest bathing (less than 7 days) program, FBE was more effective in the reduction of the number of TRPs than FBA. However, all other pain measurement scales we evaluated showed no statistically significant difference between the two protocols.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.147-156
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the cause, symptom, treatment of OPLL through Western medicine and Dong-Eui-Bo-Kham(東醫寶鑑) Results & conclusins 1. Ossification of the posterior hgament(OPLL) have radiculopathy, myelopathy or both of them such as neck pain, numbness, myatonia 2. Neck pain of OPLL seems to be simular with pain in the neck(頸項痛), neck stiffness(項强), stiffness and pain of head and neck(頭項彈痛). The causes were usually Dampness and Cold, Wind. The treatments were classified according to pathoigenic factor(病因) and muscle along the regular meridian(經筋) 3. Radiculopathy of OPLL seems to be similar with numbness(痺證). The causes were usually, pathogenic Wind, Cold, Dampness. The treatments were classified according to diagnosis of three kinds of BI syndrome(三痺), five kind of Bi synrome(五痺), five jang Bi(五臟痺), six Bu Bi(六腑痺) 4. Myelopathy of OPLL seems to be simular with myatonia(痿證) The cause of myatoma was Lung scorched by Heat(肺熱葉無). And the treatment was purping the south and reinforcing the north(寫南方 補北方). We considered that more study to find various and effective methods oriental medicine for OPLL should be made.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.71-80
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of Carthami-Flos Pharmacopuncture on posterior neck pain of menopausal women. Methods: We treated 20 female patients with neck pain patient(45-60 yr) into two groups and treated Group A with Carthami-Flos Pharmacopuncture and common acupuncture and Group B with common acupuncture. The efficacy of treatment was measured by VAS, NDI and MENQOL scores of before and after 30 days to start treatment. Results: Both group A and B represented effective improvement in VAS and NDI of neck pain and MENQOL scores. And group A was more effective than B group statistically. Conclusions: It was suggested that Carthami-Flos Pharmacopuncture treatment might have effect on posterior neck pain treatment of menopausal women.