Clin Orthop Surg.  2016 Dec;8(4):393-398. 10.4055/cios.2016.8.4.393.

Usefulness of K-Point Injection for the Nonspecific Neck Pain in So-Called K-Point Syndrome

• Moon JJ
• Ahn MW
• Ahn HS
• Lee SJ
• Lee DY

• KMID: 2412321
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/cios.2016.8.4.393

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Shoichi Kokubun introduced his successful experience with local anesthetic injection at the occipital insertion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in K-point syndrome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of K-point injection and investigate factors affecting treatment results.
METHODS
K-point injection was performed in 58 patients with K-point syndrome at Yeungnam University Medical Center. The syndrome was associated with cervical whiplash injury in 10 patients and was of nonspecific origin in the rest. One milliliter of 2% lidocaine mixed with 1 milliliter of dexamethasone was injected in 50 patients and 2 milliliters of 1% lidocaine alone in the rest. Initially, the severity of local tenderness at the K-point and other tender points was examined and the degree of immediate pain relief effect was assessed within 1 hour after injection. Early effect within 1 month after the injection and current effect were evaluated in 27 patients using a modified Kim's questionnaire with regard to the duration of improvement, degree of improvement in pain and daily living activities, and satisfaction.
RESULTS
Of the total 58 patients, 44 (75.8%) apparently had immediate pain relief after K-point injection. The only factor associated with successful immediate pain relief was the whiplash injury associated with traffic accident (TA). The early pain control effect was associated with the immediate effect. The current effect was associated with the early effect alone. Satisfaction with the K-point injection was related to early successful pain relief.
CONCLUSIONS
K-point injection would be useful for early pain relief in nonspecific neck pain syndrome so called K-point syndrome, but not for current pain relief. Especially, it was very effective for early pain control in the whiplash injury associated with TA.

Keyword

K-point injection; K-point syndrome; Nonspecific neck pain; Fibromyalgia; Whiplash injury

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anesthetics, Local/*administration & dosage/therapeutic use
Dexamethasone/administration & dosage/therapeutic use
Female
Fibromyalgia/drug therapy
Humans
Injections, Intramuscular/methods
Lidocaine/administration & dosage/therapeutic use
Male
Middle Aged
Neck Pain/*drug therapy
Pain Management
Pain Measurement
Retrospective Studies
Whiplash Injuries/drug therapy
Young Adult
Anesthetics, Local
Dexamethasone
Lidocaine

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Surface anatomy of the K-point. (A) Photograph. (B) Diagram. SCM: sternocleidomastoid.

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