Table 1. Baseline characteristics

Characteristics	TrP group (n = 62)	Meridian point group (n = 63)	p
Average age^‡	44.5 ± 9.3	44.2 ± 9.7	0.856^*
18 - 39 years of age^†	27.4	27.0	0.856^*
40 - 59 years of age^†	64.5	65.1	0.998^#
≥ 60 years of age^†	8.1	7.9	0.998^#
Gender^†
Male	29.0	30.2	0.890#
Female	71.0	69.8	0.890#
Pretreatment^†
Opioid	11.3	11.1	0.975^#
NSAIDs	46.8	49.2	0.786^#
Corticoid	11.3	11.1	0.975^#
Traditional medicines	27.4	27.0	0.956^#
Acupuncture	30.7	37.1	0.953^#
Message and acupressure	24.2	23.8	0.960^#
Physical treatment	37.1	38.1	0.908#
Diagnose^†
Neck pain myofascial pain syndrome	53.2	54.0
Cervical spondylosis	35.5	34.9	0.997^#
Cervical herniated disc	11.3	11.1	0.997^#
Pain assessment scales^‡
QDSA (point)	38.19 ± 2.60	37.75 ± 2.29	0.309^*
VAS (mm)	63.00 ± 5.91	62.78 ± 5.50	0.828^*
NDI (point)	23.73 ± 2.64	23.48 ± 2.53	0.590^*

Percent.
Mean ± Standard Deviation.
Tested using homoscedastic t-test;
Testing using Chi-square test.
Abbreviation: QDSA, Questionnaire Douleur Saint-Antoine; VAS, Visual Analog Scale; NDI, Neck Disability Index; TrP, Trigger point.