The Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Doin (Conduction Exercise) for Chronic Neck Pain

Inclusion Criteria: * Neck area pain duration of 6 months or longer * Current Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for neck area pain of 5 or higher * Patients who have agreed to voluntarily participate in the clinical trial and given written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients diagnosed with serious pathology(s) which may cause neck pain (e.g. malignant tumor, spinal infection, inflammatory spondylitis) * Progressive neurologic deficit or severe neurologic symptoms (e.g. cauda equina syndrome, progressive muscle weakness) * Pathologies of non-spinal or soft tissue origin or high severity which may cause neck or radiating arm pain (e.g. malignant tumor, spinal infection, inflammatory spondylitis, fibromyalgia, rheumatic arthritis, gout) * Other chronic diseases which may interfere with treatment effect or interpretation of results (e.g. cardiovascular disorder, renal disease, diabetic neuropathy, dementia, epilepsy) * Current intake of steroids, immunosuppressant medicine, psychiatric medicine or other medication which may interfere with treatment results * Patients considered unsuitable or unsafe to receive acupuncture (e.g. patients with hemorrhagic diseases, blood clotting disorders, history of anti-coagulation medicine intake, severe diabetes with high risk of infection, severe cardiovascular diseases) * Patients who were treated with invasive interventions such as acupuncture or injections, or with medicine that may potentially influence pain such as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs) within the past week * History of cervical surgery within the past 3 months * Pregnancy or plans of pregnancy * Severe psychopathy * Participation in other clinical studies * Inability to give written informed consent * Other reasons rendering trial participation inappropriate as judged by the researchers