The Effect of Integrated CAM Treatment in Patients Hospitalized at a Korean Medicine Hospital

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effects of intensive non-surgical hospital treatment for patients with musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain, neck pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, intervertebral disc herniation, and spinal stenosis. This study takes place in a hospital that combines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with conventional medical treatments to better understand patient outcomes. Patients admitted as inpatients receive treatments according to a CAM protocol that includes herbal medicine taken three times daily, acupuncture 1-2 times daily, pharmacopuncture injections using herbal extracts, bee venom pharmacopuncture after allergy testing, and Chuna manipulation performed 3-5 times per week. Conventional medicine treatments are provided as needed alongside these therapies. Throughout the hospital stay, participants undergo multiple assessments including pain intensity scales for various body areas, disability indexes, physical and neurological examinations, and range of motion tests. These measures are recorded at admission, after two weeks, and at discharge. Researchers monitor changes in pain and function to evaluate treatment effects during the study period, which extends until December 2040.

The Effect of Integrated CAM Treatment in Hospitalized Patients