Use of Acupuncture for Pain Management in An Academic Korean Medicine Hospital: A Retrospective Review of Electronic Medical Records

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to identify the descriptive characteristics of patients with pain conditions who visited an academic medical centre for traditional Korean medicine (TKM). Methods This work was a retrospective review of the electronic medical records of patients who received at least one session of acupuncture for pain management from March 2010 to February 2012 in the Korean medical hospital of Pusan National University. Demographic characteristics and data on patient conditions, treatment interventions received and costs associated with acupuncture treatments were analysed. Results We identified a total of 2167 patients, including 2105 outpatients and 237 inpatients. The mean age (SD) of the patients was 52.0 (15.3) years, and approximately two-thirds of the patients were women (64.0%). The average number of acupuncture treatment sessions was 8.0 (6.6 for outpatients and 14.5 for inpatients). The most treated conditions were low back pain (30.5%), neck pain (23.9%) and shoulder pain (17.5%). Interventions included needle acupuncture with manual (52.6%) or electrical (47.4%) stimulation, herbal medicine (44.2%), cupping (21.2%) and moxibustion (3.5%). Over one-third of outpatients (33.5%) received at least six sessions of acupuncture. The median total cost of each outpatient and inpatient care per person was 169 604 and 1 001 707 Korean Won (approximately £98 and £577), respectively. Conclusions Acupuncture was primarily used for the treatment of low back, neck and shoulder pain with a wide range of related interventions at an academic medical centre for traditional Korean medicine. These data reflect real clinical practice and should inform the design of future prospective clinical research of acupuncture.

The dischargeable cut-off score of Oswestry disability index (ODI) in the inpatient care for low back pain with disability

“…As for Korea, where a dual healthcare system (a system where both conventional medicine and Korean Medicine are legally recognized by the government) has been settled, LBP was the 7th most prevalent cause of inpatient care in conventional hospitals and 1st in Korean Medicine hospitals [5]. According to a 2012 study by a national institution in Korea that specializes in complementary alternative medicine (CAM), inpatients hospitalized for lumbar spinal disorders spent six times more total medical costs than outpatients [6]. This implies that inpatient care causes considerable socioeconomic losses.…”

Patient Demographics at an Urban Acupuncture Teaching Clinic

“…The demographics of those seeking acupuncture and related Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments in a variety of teaching centers has been discussed in several articles [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. The demographics of acupuncture patients in these studies were similar.…”

“…In the US, the majority of patients were Caucasian females [1][2][3][4]. In Korean settings, the majority of patients were Asian with less of a gap between the genders [5,6]. Recognizing that TCM clinical experiences change over time and practice varies in different settings, there is a need to conduct evaluations of TCM clinic data to better inform TCM education and clinical training in the US.…”

Acupuncture as analgesia for non-emergent acute non-specific neck pain, ankle sprain and primary headache in an emergency department setting: a protocol for a parallel group, randomised, controlled pilot trial

“…Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews have also indicated the need for further research on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in various contexts in these conditions 2 3 6 18. All study KMDs are acupuncture practitioners who are well experienced in treating such acute pain conditions, and they have treated musculoskeletal conditions in outpatient and inpatient settings 19. Joint discussions among the study KMDs, ED physicians and investigators revealed that current ED management of such conditions seems to be suboptimal in terms of patient satisfaction, mainly based on the clinical experiences at the hospital.…”