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Neck PainNCT06591221

The Effectiveness of Chuna Maintenance Therapy for Chronic Bothersome Neck Pain

A study testing Chuna Maintenance Therapy in people with Neck Pain and Chronic Pain, run by Jaseng Medical Foundation at 7 sites in South Korea.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study is a pragmatic randomized controlled study that assessed 250 subjects complaining of chronic bothersome neck pain with mild discomfort in a 1:1 ratio: chuna maintenance therapy group (125 subjects, 1 time/2 weeks, total 20 weeks) and lifestyle management \& self-exercise group (125 subjects, exercise method… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 19 to 70 years
Conditions the study is for
Neck Pain, Chronic Pain
What is being tested?
Chuna Maintenance Therapy
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
250 participants
Where
7 sitesSouth Korea
Study dates
7 Jul 2024to 31 Mar 2027
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 19 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Aged 19 or older but under 70.
  • Neck pain with pain duration of 12 months or longer
  • NRS of neck pain over the past month is 2 or more but less than 4
  • Patients who have agreed to trial participation and provided written informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Patients diagnosed with serious pathology(s) which may cause neck pain (e.g. spinal metastasis of tumor(s), acute fracture, spinal dislocation)
  • Patients with progressive neurologic deficit or severe neurologic symptoms such as spinal cord injury
  • Patients whose pain is due to soft tissue disease not the spine (e.g. tumors, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, gout)
  • Patients with other chronic disease(s) which may interfere with treatment effect, safety, or interpretation of outcome (e.g. stroke and myocardial infarction, kidney disease, diabetic neuropathy, dementia, epilepsy)
  • Patients currently taking steroids, immunosuppressants, medicine for mental illness or other medication(s) that may interfere with study results
  • Pregnant patients or patients with plans of pregnancy or lactating patients
Show all 10Show fewer
  • Patients within 3 months after cervical surgery
  • Patients with experience of participating in another clinical study within 1 month or plan to participate in another clinical study during the study participation and follow-up period within 6 months from the participation date
  • Patients having difficult to completing the written informed consent
  • Patients who are deemed unsuitable by the researchers

Trial locations and contacts

7 sites in 1 country.

7 sites in 1 country

South Korea7 sites

  • Bucheon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine

    Bucheon-si

  • Daejeon Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine

    Daejeon

  • Haeundae Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine

    Haeundae

  • College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University

    Seoul

  • Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University

    Seoul

  • Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine

    Seoul

  • School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University

    Yangsan

Other trials in South Korea

About this study

Official title: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Manual Maintenance Therapy (Chuna Maintenance Therapy) for Chronic Bothersome Neck Pain : a Multi-centered, Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Study

This study is a pragmatic randomized controlled study that assessed 250 subjects complaining of chronic bothersome neck pain with mild discomfort in a 1:1 ratio: chuna maintenance therapy group (125 subjects, 1 time/2 weeks, total 20 weeks) and lifestyle management \& self-exercise group (125 subjects, exercise method education 1 time/4 weeks, total 20 weeks).

Being tested
Chuna Maintenance Therapy
Keywords
Chuna therapy, Manual therapy, Chronic neck pain
Medical subject headings
Neck Pain, Chronic Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Chuna Maintenance TherapyProcedure or surgery

    it is conducted every two weeks for a total of 20 weeks for individuals. The technique follows the guidelines of the Society of Chuna Manual Medicine and is based on Chuna Medicine (2.5th edition), which is utilized as a textbook in Korean Medicine colleges.

    The treatment is selectively administered based on the clinical judgment of the practitioner.

Study groups in NCT06591221
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Chuna maintenance therapy groupExperimentalThis group will receive chuna therapy determined by the clinician based on the subject's symptoms, degree of improvement, etc. (1 time/2 weeks, total 20 weeks)
Receives: Procedure: Chuna Maintenance Therapy
Lifestyle management & self-exercise groupOtherThis group will perform lifestyle management and daily self-exercise. The exercise education will be performed per 4 weeks for total 20 weeks.
Receives: Procedure: Chuna Maintenance Therapy

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. NRS (Numeric rating scale)

    Ranging 0-10 likert scale (higher=worse)

    Measured: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25

  2. NDI (Neck disability index)

    Each of the 10 items scores from 0 to 5, The maximum score is 50 (higher=worse)

    Measured: Wk 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25

Secondary outcomes (8)

  1. VAS(Visual analogue scale) for pain

    Ranging 0-10cm scale (higher=worse)

    Measured: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25

  2. Number of days with bothersome neck pain

    Measured: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25

  3. Recurrence

    Measured: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25

  4. PGIC (Patient Global Impression of Change)

    PGIC is a 7 point scale depicting a patient's rating of overall improvement (higher=worse)

    Measured: Wk 21, 25

  5. EQ-5D-5L( The 5-level EuroQol-5)

    5 items for self-rating of overall health (lower=worse)

    Measured: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25

  6. HINT-8 (health-related quality of life instrument-8)

    8 items for self-rating of overall health (lower=worse)

    Measured: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25

  7. Rating for Credibility and Expectancy of the treatment

    Ranging 1-9 likert scale (higher=more credible, positive results are expected)

    Measured: Once at screening procedure

  8. Drug consumption history

    Whether medication was used (Y/N)

    Measured: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted19 Sep 2024
  2. Study start7 Jul 2024
  3. Primary completion3 Feb 2026
  4. Study completion31 Mar 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
250 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06591221
Sponsor's protocol ID
JS-CT-2024-02
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
31 Aug 2024
Last updated
28 May 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Yun JM, Kim JY, Lee SH, Lee YJ, Heo I, Shin WC, Cho JH, Seo BK, Ha IH. Multi-Institutional Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Manual Maintenance Therapy for Chronic Bothersome Neck Pain. J Pain Res. 2026 Mar 18;19:577619. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S577619. eCollection 2026.

    PubMed 41873381

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Chuna Maintenance Therapy in people with Neck Pain and Chronic Pain, run by Jaseng Medical Foundation at 7 sites in South Korea.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 7 sites in South Korea. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

NRS (Numeric rating scale) (time frame: Wk 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06591221, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 May 2026.

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