• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.44-53
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• 2023

Objectives : This study was conducted to reveal the relationship between multiple factors of traditional Korean Medicine diagnosis and consider the further probabilities of treating people with physical and mental problems not defined as diseases, which is called 'Mibyeong' in traditional Korean Medicine. Methods : 40 healthy participants were included in the observational clinical trial. The participants were asked to complete health questionnaires (e.g. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Stress Response Inventory) and they went through a traditional diagnosis process, including four stages of diagnosis (looking, listening/smelling, inquiring, and pulse taking), by a Korean Medicine doctor. Both the Korean Medicine doctor and an artery tonometry device performed the pulse diagnosis. Results : Although all participants were healthy people with no history of disease, more than half of participants had a problem related with severe level of fatigue (n=19), sleep disturbance (n=26) and stress (n=27) status according to the related questionnaires. Participants diagnosed with phlegm syndrome by the Korean Medicine doctor showed significantly greater score in phlegm pattern questionnaires than participants who were not. However, there was little agreement between the doctor's pulse diagnosis and radial artery tonometry results. Conclusions : We conducted a pulse diagnosis and measured health-related information along with the traditional Korean Medicine diagnose procedure, including four stages of diagnosis, and we found a linkage between diagnosis of phlegm and the phlegm pattern questionnaire score. The results suggest that a number of healthy participants, with no disease diagnosed, have Mibyoung symptoms which need further clinical management. Thus, we suggest that Mibyoung management programs based on qualified diagnosis tools and traditional Korean medicine diagnosis procedures be developed, and that future research using various diagnostic tools be carried out on a large population.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.8-15
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• 2022

Objectives : Saam acupuncture is one of the indigenous therapeutic modalities in traditional Korean medicine. In this study, the neuroprotective effect of Saam acupuncture of kidney tonification was investigated using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice. Methods : Twelve-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally administered with 30 mg/kg of MPTP at 24-h intervals for 5 days and acupuncture stimulation at LU8, KI7, SP3 and KI3 was performed once a day for 12 days from the first MPTP injection. The pole test and the rotarod test were performed to evaluate motor function, and dopaminergic neuronal survival in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum was evaluated using tyrosine-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. Results : MPTP administration caused behavioral impairment and dopaminergic neuronal death in the nigrostriatal pathway. Whereas the Saam acupuncture treatment alleviated the MPTP-induced motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuronal death in the SN and striatum. Conclusions : Saam acupuncture of kidney tonification can alleviate the MPTP-induced motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuronal death in the nigrostriatal pathway, suggesting a possible role for acupuncture in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

• 대한한의진단학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.72-87
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• 2021

Objectives This is the review on the Jeolgyeong which means diagnosis method of meridian and acupoints. Detecting method of meridian and acupoints under the disease condition using fingertips were more developed in Japan than in China and Korea. This study is the introduction to the Japanese style palpation method on meridian and acupoints. Methods Firstly the textbook 'Acupuncture medicine' published by the committee of Korean professors' association of acupuncture and moxibustion was analyzed. Especially the contents of the palpation method on meridian and acupoints were focused and summarized and secondly the book describing the palpation method on meridian and acupoints was selected, translated and summarized. Results Until now the knowledge on the acupoints reaction depending on the patient's status, the deficiency pattern and the excessive pattern was rarely described in China and Korea. On the contrary, 4 kinds of reactions in the deficiency pattern and 4 kinds of reactions in the excessive pattern were well described in Japanese literatures. Mild touching, mild pinching, rubbing, mild pressing and severe pressing were also described along the meridians. Except the bladder meridian Back Shu points, Yuan points, Luo points, Xi(cleft) points, Front Mu points were depicted as the same as those in China and Korea. For the bladder meridian lines, 4 lines were organized including 2 lines of Hua-Tuo-Jia-Ji-Xue and the middle line between 1st and 2nd bladder meridian line as well as 1st bladder meridian line and 2nd bladder meridian line. Conclusions Detecting meridians or acupoints and using them for diagnosis and treatment is a method used in China, Korea, and Japan. However, detailed descriptions of the method for detecting meridians through palpation are revealed in Japanese books. Palpation methods for diagnosing meridians using touching, pinching, rubbing, and pressing methods are expected to be standardized and systematically learned in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제40권3호
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• pp.99-108
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• 2023

Objectives : The aim of this study was to assess the quantitative characteristics of pressure pain threshold (PPT) and pressure depth (PD) at the abdominal conception vessel (CV) acupoints according to subjective digestive status and digestive discomfort levels, accomplished by comparing a large group of healthy men and women, using the modified digital algometer. Methods : A total of 1,504 healthy adults aged 19 years or older participated in this study. A questionnaire was administered to evaluate participants' digestive status and discomfort. PPT (kgf/cm²/s) and PD (mm) measurements were obtained at CV14, CV12, and CV4 acupoints using a modified digital algometer. General characteristics were analyzed using the chi-square test, and differences in PPT and PD were assessed using two-sample t-tests and ANCOVA. Results : Significant difference in PPT was found based on digestive status at CV14 and CV12 for both sexes, and in PD at CV14 for women. Women exhibited significant difference in PPT based on digestive discomfort at CV14, CV12, and CV4, while men showed significant difference at CV14 and CV12. Significant difference in PD was observed at CV14 and CV4 among women. Even after adjusting for age and body mass index, significant difference persisted in PPT based on digestive discomfort at CV14 and CV12 for both sexes. PD exhibited significant differences at CV14, CV12, and CV4 among women. Conclusions : Using the modified digital algometer, this study showed the significant difference of pressure pain threshold at the CV14 and CV12 acupoints for subjective digestive discomfort levels in healthy men and women.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.169-176
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aims to catalogue contraindicated acupoints for needling in Chimgupyeon of Dongeuibogam and to determine implications for citation accuracy. Methods : We found and compiled contraindicated acupoints for needling and their citations in Chimgupyeon of Dongeuibogam, then verified the accuracy of the citations by comparing them with what was written in the cited literature. In cases where the citation is not exact, the correct reference was estimated by comparing it with the acupuncture literature. And the thoughts of Heo Jun were predicted based on inferences and papers investigating Dongeuibogam. Results : There are two sections on contraindicated acupoints for needling in Chimgupyeon of Dongeuibogam: the section on the 14 meridians and their acupoints, and the section on Geumchimhyeol. In the section on the 14 meridians and their acupoints, the number of contraindicated acupoints for needling are 29, and most of them are quoted from Donginsuhyeolchimgudogyeong. And in the section on Geumchimhyeol, 34 contraindicated acupoints for needling are listed from Geumchimhyeol in Uihakipmun. Most of the quotations were accurate, but some were summarized, and some were inaccurate. However, most of the inaccurate citations are probably Heo Jun's own thoughts based on other literature. Conclusions : The contraindicated acupoints for needling in Chimgupyeon of Dongeuibogam are assumed to have been written by Heo Jun based on his medical knowledge and literature, with an emphasis on practicality, and it is suggested that they are based on the contents of Donginsuhyeolchimgudogyeong and Uihakipmun in particular.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.149-155
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• 2023

Objectives : Hapgok (LI4) is one of the most widely used acupoints in clinical practice. This study aims to investigate the trend of clinical studies including LI4 acupoint stimulation in Korea. Methods : Papers of clinical researches including LI4 acupoint stimulation in Korean journals were searched in Korean databases of Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, Korean Studies Information Service System, Korea Citation Index, DBpia, Research Information Sharing Service, and ScienceON. The papers were then analyzed focusing on the number of publications by year, the types of the clinical research, interventions, research topics, institutes, and journals. Results : A total of 154 publications were included in this study. The first paper was published in 1981, and the number of papers has gradually increased since the 1990s. Although LI4 acupoint stimulation was included, most of the papers had additional acupoints and interventions. Diseases of the nervous system were the most common, followed by diseases of the digestive system and diseases of the circulatory system. Kyung Hee University is the institution that published the most papers, and the journal that published the most papers is The Journal of Korean Oriental Internal Medicine. Conclusions : Since the 1990s, the number of clinical studies on LI4 acupoint has increased. However, the results of the studies are insufficient to prove the efficacy of LI4 acupoint because most of the studies were case reports using additional acupoints and interventions. Therefore, more rigorous studies are needed to prove the efficacy of LI4 acupoint.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.203-213
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• 2023

Objectives This study aimed to develop a Korean medicine (KM) clinical practice guideline for myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) via the collaboration of clinical and methodological experts. Methods The study will include an initial survey to establish a common understanding of MPS. To develop the clinical guideline, a multidisciplinary development group was formed. The group will finalize the clinical questions based on a preliminary draft. The GRADE methodology is going to be applied to determine the level of evidence and grading of the recommendations. Finally, approval from the relevant medical societies will be obtained. Results A protocol for developing a KM clinical guideline for MPS was presented. Before finalizing the clinical key questions, a literature search was conducted according to the protocol, and a draft of 19 clinical key questions was established. Conclusions An evidence-based KM clinical guideline for MPS is expected to contribute to the management of MPS. This may also serve as a reference for the development of other KM clinical practice guidelines in the future.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.7-15
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• 2024

Objectives : This study aimed to predict the effectiveness and potential of Schizonepeta tenuifolia as an anticancer treatment for non-small cell lung cancer through network-based pharmacology and cellular experiment. Methods : To identify the major bioactive compounds in Schizonepeta tenuifolia, we used the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems. The target genes for the cancer treatment were selected using the UniProt database and the networked using Cytoscape. We performed functional enrichment analysis based on the Gene Ontology Biological Process and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathways to predict the mechanisms. To investigate the effect of Schizonepeta tenuifolia on lung cancer cell growth, we treated A549 cells, a lung cancer cell line, with different concentrations of the drug and used the MTT assay for cell viability. Results : Research has shown that the most effective mechanism of active compounds from Schizonepeta tenuifolia is through the pathway of cancer. The results of the network pharmacology analysis indicate that Schizonepeta tenuifolia has potential medicinal value as an adjuvant in anticancer treatment. The concentration-dependent inhibition of cell viability was observed on A549 cells. Furthermore, synergistic anticancer activity with Doxorubicin was also observed. Conclusions : Through a network pharmacological approach, Schizonepeta tenuifolia was predicted to have potential as an anticancer agent, and its efficacy was experimentally demonstrated using A549 cells. These findings suggest that Schizonepeta tenuifolia is a promising candidate for future research.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제41권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2024

Objectives : The aim of this study is to set out case series study protocol to complete clinical pathway (CP) of hip and finger degenerative arthritis by applying CP, based on Korean medicine clinical practice guideline developed by clinical experts, to clinical field. Methods : The treatments included Manual acupuncture, acupoint injection, electroacupuncture, laser acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, chuna, and physiotherapy. They were conducted in the 2nd week of admission and 4th week of out patient department (OPD) days. We carried out 10-point Likert scale questionnaires on the clinical usefulness and the satisfaction of patients and staff after applying CP. Appropriateness and improvement on patients were conducted using a 10-point Likert scale. An open-ended questionnaire was also conducted to ask if there was any requirement to be added. Results : In past research studies, there were no related studies about Korean medicine CP on hip and finger degenerative arthritis. Final version of CP is going to be completed based on the questionnaire. Conclusions : This evidence-based case series study protocol is expected to contribute development of hip and finger degenerative arthritis.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.31-41
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• 2004

Background : The cun measurement system, an essential and convenient method in locating acupoints, has been widely used in the practice of acupuncture. However, traditional cun measurement has been criticized for its lack of reliability. Objectives : The purposes of this study are to determine if one cun measured by the directional methods have a consistency with that of proportional methods and to investigate which factors are related with these differences, especially in forearm. Methods : The distance between the elbow crease and the wrist crease of forearm was compared to a reference value of one cun obtained by the directional method. In this method, one cun is one third of the distance between index finger and small finger of a subject, measured at proximal interphalangeal joint. In addition, to investigate the factors influencing the differences between these two methods, we measured the height and body weight and calculated body mass index (BMI). Finally we analyzed the factors correlated with these lengths by linear regression test. Results : The results showed that one cun obtained by the directional methods were significantly different from one cun by the proportional methods in forearm. It was demonstrated that the length acquired with the directional method was more correlated with body weight and body mass index, while the length obtained by the proportional method was more correlated with the height. Conclusion : These findings suggest that the directional method is less likely dependable in locating acupoints than the proportional method because the influencing factors are different.