Chronic neck myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common disorder seen in clinics. There is no gold standard method to treat myofascial pain. We investigated the effects of acupuncture on patients with chronic neck MPS by a single-blind randomized controlled trial. A total of 35 patients were randomly allocated to an acupuncture group (AG) or a sham acupuncture group (SG). Each subject received acupuncture treatment twice per week for three consecutive weeks. The primary outcome measure was quality of life as assessed with Short Form-36, and secondary outcome measures were neck range of motion (ROM), motion-related pain, and Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), as determined by a blinded investigator. The clinical assessments were made before treatment (BT) and after six acupuncture treatments (AT), as well as four weeks (F1) and 12 weeks (F2) after the end of the treatment. A total of 34 patients completed the trial. The results indicated that there is no significant difference in the ROM, motion-related pain, and SF-MPQ scores between AG and SG at AT, F1 and F2 (all p > 0.05). However, AG has greater improvement in physical functioning and role emotional of Short Form-36 quality of life at F2. The results indicate that acupuncture may be used to improve the quality of life in patients with chronic neck MPS.

BackgroundPatient education is crucial in improving the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients. At the same, understanding the concerns and needs of patients is essential in providing appropriate education. This study assessed the educational needs and HRQOL experienced by chronic hepatitis patients.MethodsWe developed structured questionnaires with satisfactory validity and reliability to assess the educational needs of patients. HROQL was measured using a generic Short Form 36 (SF-36) and a liver disease-specific Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ). Descriptive statistic measures and Pearson’s correlation analysis were applied for data analysis.ResultsA total of 135 subjects were recruited from two regional teaching hospitals in Taiwan. “Disease characteristics and management” exhibited the highest mean score (3.17) among all the subscales of educational needs. In comparison with those without antiviral therapy, chronic hepatitis patients undergoing antiviral treatment scored significantly higher on all subscales of educational needs, especially on “side effects of antiviral treatment” (p < 0.010). The median range of the physical component summary score was 45.94, the mental component summary score was 49.37, and the mean CLDQ was 5.70. Several domains of educational needs were significantly inversely correlated with the CLDQ and SF-36 subscales.ConclusionsEducation is highly required by chronic hepatitis patients, especially those receiving antiviral therapy and patients with poor HRQOL. These findings can serve as a useful reference for nursing personnel who perform needs assessment to develop individual nursing instruction and thereby improve the quality of care for chronic hepatitis patients.