Bee Venom Acupuncture for Neck Pain: A Review of the Korean Literature.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review clinical studies on bee venom acupuncture (BVA) for treating neck pain, particularly focusing on its effectiveness and application in Korean publications.
Results Summary
The study identified 24 trials involving 316 patients, showing BVA improved neck pain across 16 outcome measures, with herniated intervertebral discs of the cervical spine being the most common diagnosis. However, adverse effects were not thoroughly examined.
Population
Patients with neck pain, particularly those with herniated intervertebral discs of the cervical spine.
Effective Dosage
0.05-0.5 mg/mL concentration, 0.1-1.5 mL per session.
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
bee venom | decrease | various types of pain | - | - | is effective in treating | #1 |
bee venom acupuncture (BVA) | increase | 16 outcome measures | 316 patients with neck pain | - | improvements in | #2 |
bee venom acupuncture (BVA) | decrease | neck pain | - | - | could be recommended for the treatment of | #3 |
bee venom acupuncture (BVA) | decrease | HIVD of the C-spine | - | - | could be recommended for the treatment of | #4 |
Bee venom is a natural toxin that is effective in treating various types of pain. The purpose of this paper was to review all the features of clinical studies conducted on bee venom acupuncture (BVA) for the treatment of neck pain in Korean publications. Six Korean databases and 16 Korean journals were searched in August 2022 for clinical studies on BVA for neck pain. We identified 24 trials that met our inclusion criteria, of which 316 patients with neck pain were treated with BVA. The most common diagnosis in the patients with neck pain was herniated intervertebral discs (HIVDs) of the cervical spine (C-spine) (29.2%), and the concentration and dosage per session were 0.05-0.5 mg/mL and 0.1-1.5 mL, respectively. The visual analog scale was most often measured for neck pain severity (62.5%), and all clinical research reported improvements in 16 outcome measures. This study shows that BVA could be recommended for the treatment of neck pain, especially HIVD of the C-spine; however, the adverse effects of BVA must be examined in future studies.