• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.93-108
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• 2012

Objectives : This study aims to review randomized controlled trials on acupuncture for shoulder pain according to Jadad Scale and revised STRICTA. Methods : Seven electronic databases including PUBMED, SCOPUS, RISS were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) of acupuncture for shoulder pain. Results : 16 RCTs were included: 14 were published in English and 2 were published in Korean. According to Jadad scale, 15 RCTs had high quality. However, most of the studies could not meet the double blindness criteria. All RCTs meet 12.9 items on average in STRICTA. Conclusions : This systematic review shows four conclusions as follows. Traditional Chinese Medicine is often used in style of acupuncture. Spots of LI15, TE14, GB21 and LI11, stainless steel needle($0.3mm{\times}40mm$), 20 retention time, manual stimulation, $Deqi$, and 2 times a week treatment (total 12) are often used. Double-blinded clinical trials needs to be conducted. It is controversial to use minimal acupunctures on controlled groups of RCTs on acupuncture for shoulder pain. Description about practitioner's background needs clarifying.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture treatment on the inflammatory lesions and body image disturbances in patients with vulgaris acnes. Methods : Fifteen inflammatory acne patients were enrolled and treated with facial acupuncture during 4 treatment sessions. We evaluated the number of papules and nodules using the Korean Acne Grading System (KAGS). We also evaluated patients' general subjective satisfaction and objective changes of inflammatory acnes symptoms using DermaVision-pro. Moreover, we observed the skin quality-of-life scale with skindex-29 and body image disturbance questionnaire (BIDQ) as secondary outcome. Adverse events were recorded as well at every visit. Results : After 4 treatment sessions, there were significant reductions in the number of papules and nodules of the patients. We found that subjective satisfactions of patients were enhanced as well as the objective inflammatory symptoms. We also found significant improvements in the quality of life and BIDQ. No serious treatment-related adverse events were reported. Conclusions : This study demonstrated that standardized facial acupuncture were effective and safe in the treatment of facial inflammatory acnes.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.89-94
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• 2002

We experienced a male patient who was diagnosed as very severe abdominal obesity. From the 3rd of January to the 14th of April we applied herbal medication(Tiganyiyiren-tang), very low calorie diet, aerobic exercise, behavioral therapy, electrolipolysis, infra-red therapy, auricular acupuncture, and aqua-massage to him. And we examined the changes of his height, weight, body composition, body size, liver functional test, abdominal CT finding. The food production of this year has decreased by 5 percent. His weight decreased by 28.2%, PIBW by 28.5%, BMI by 28.2%, PBF by 22.7%, and WHR by 15.9%. The circumference of upper extremity decreased by 25.7%, the circumference of the muscle of upper extremity by 18.2%, the circumference of chest by 20.5%, the circumference of abdomen by 29.5%, the circumference of hip by 17.4%, and the circumference of thigh by 15.9%. In the liver functional test GOT decreased from 42IU/l to 361U/I, GPT from 1211U/l to 48IU/I. Total cholesterol from 211mg/dl to 152mg/dl, and Trigliceride from 192mg/dl to 81 mg/dl. In the abdominal CT finding the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity decreased from $9732mm^2$ to $3639mm^2$.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.66-80
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine acupuncture treatment suggested on the papers of hyperemesis gravidarum(HG) in medicine journals and to establish the future direction. Methods: The papers which were associated with acupuncture and HG published between 2000 and 2012 in Medline were searched. Results: 14 studies met the condition. They were 13 randomized controlled trial (RCT)s and 1 clinical study. 13 studies revealed that acupuncture has efficacies in HG. 1 study was shown to have no statistically significant efficacy. 2 studies revealed that acupuncture was safe treatment, and 1 study revealed that acupuncture was reliable treatment. Conclusions: From the paper research, acupuncture treatment seems to be effective on HG. However, due to the lack sufficient research of HG, it would be necessary to fulfill further study about the period of acupuncture treatment on HG and the selection of acupoint through well-designed study and establish standard of evidence of them.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.78-91
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• 2016

Objectives: Breast cancer patients in Korea need to care about symptoms with complementary medicine including acupuncture. We reviewed the randomized controlled studies using acupuncture in breast cancer patients to establish a basic knowledge of clinical practice guidelines. Methods: We searched the following databases through July 2015: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid-Medline, Ovid-EMBASE, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Databases and OASIS. The articles of RCTs using acupuncture in breast cancer for all symptoms were selected and analyzed. The acupoints, treatment period, inclusion criteria of participants, follow-up period and effectiveness were extracted. Results: Three hundred fifty five records after duplicate were screened, and 14 RCTs were selected. RCTs of Hot flush, pain, fatigue were reviewed. The adverse symptoms using medical treatment in breast cancer patients were targets of acupuncture in RCTs. The acupuncture treatment was decreased the hot flush, pain and fatigue. However, the effect was not confirmed due to various study design. Conclusions: The analysis of the research would be conjugated to establish a basic knowledge of clinical practice guidelines. Well designed studies in Korea are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in patients with breast cancer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.760-766
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• 2021

Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of Dong's acupuncture for pain associated with a varicocele. Methods: A 23-year-old male patient visited for pain due to varicocele that occurred on March 2 and was treated with acupuncture and moxibustion three times on March 16, 17, and 19. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) was used to evaluate the patient's pain. Results: After the three treatments, the NRS scores decreased, and the patient's subjective symptoms improved. Also, the patient required no medication for a week from the date of treatment start. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that Korean medicine may be an option for treating a painful varicocele, but further research is required for confirmation.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.162-174
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• 2021

Objectives : We aimed to identify the antidepressant effect of liver tonification acupuncture treatment (ACU (LT); KI10, LR8, LU8, LR4) and four gate acupuncture treatment (ACU (FG); LI4, LR3) and its brain neural activity in the normal and chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced mouse model. Methods : Firstly, normal mice were given ACU (LT) or ACU (FG) and the c-Fos expressions in each brain region were analyzed to examine brain neural activity. Secondly, CRS was administered to mice for 4 weeks, then ACU (LT) or ACU (FG) was performed for 2 weeks. The depression-like behavior was evaluated using open field test (OFT) before and after acupuncture treatment. Then, the c-Fos expressions in each brain region were analyzed to examine brain neural activity. Results : In normal mice, ACU (FG) regulated brain neural activities in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and periaqueductal gray. ACU (LT) changed more brain regions in the prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, striatum, and hippocampus, including those altered by ACU (FG). In CRS-induced model, ACU (LT) alleviated depression-like behavior more than ACU (FG). Also, brain neural activities in the motor cortex area 2 (M2), agranular ventral part and piriform of insular cortex (AIV and Pir), and cornu ammonis (CA) 1 and CA3 of hippocampus were changed by ACU (LT), and those of AIV and CA3 were also changed by ACU (FG). As in normal mice, ACU (LT) resulted in changes in more brain regions, including those altered by ACU (FG) in CRS model. M2, Pir, and CA1 were only changed by ACU (LT) in depression model, suggesting that these brain regions reflect the specific effect of ACU (LT). Conclusions : ACU (LT) relieved depression-like behavior more than ACU (FG), and this acupuncture effect was associated with modulation of brain neural activities in the motor cortex, insular cortex, and hippocampus.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.171-188
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• 2019

Objectives The purpose of this thesis is to compare and analyze outcomes of case studies and controlled studies about Hwangryunhaedok-tang (HHT) pharmacopuncture in clinical studies. Based on these studies reporting clinical effects by using HHT pharmacopuncture, we object to deduct the comparative review in applying clinical disorders limitedly. And conclusionally, by using this comparative review, we aim to make the fine evidence in treating clinical specific diseases. Methods We searched 106 studies about HHT pharmacopuncture from 6 Korean web databases by using in Korean word 'Hwangryunhaedok-tang pharmacopuncture'. This search had been progressed throughout 1 month (January, 2019). There was 106 thesis and we excluded studies that are not related to HHT pharmacopuncture, experimental research, not the case report or randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, not using HHT pharmacopuncture, not using only one pharmacopuncture, and not using HHT pharmacopuncture for major treating method. As a result, 39 thesis are selected as a population. Results We analyzed 34 case reports and 5 controlled studies. As the final outcome, HHT pharmacopuncture was used in musculoskeletal diseases, dermatopathy, and 32 specific diseases. Conclusions After analyzing 39 studies, effective symptom changes clinically and statistically by using HHT pharmacopuncture herbal acupuncture were identified. However, these thesis designs were reported deficiently in many parts such as not excluding other confounding variables. After modifying defects of thesis design and conduct study, it can play a role as the evidence using HHT pharmacopuncture more precisely.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1206-1224
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• 2018

Purpose: This systematic review was planned and performed in order to determine the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: We searched related randomized controlled trials in several medical online databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Public/Publisher MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), National Digital Science Library (NDSL), and Research Information Sharing Service (RISS). NAFLD related outcomes were extracted from the included trials and meta-analyzed. Results: From the 8 included trials, the values of the following examinations were extracted: liver ultrasonography, liver CT, body fat CT, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, fasting blood sugar (FBS), hosmeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), weight, body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), obesity degree, body fat mass, body fat rate, leptin, malondialdehyde (MDA), and super oxide dismutase (SOD). In the 4 outcomes, cure rate in liver ultrasonography (RR=1.56; 95%CI=1.05~2.31; P=0.03), cure rate in liver CT (RR=2.23; 95%CI=1.33~3.72; P=0.002), TC (MD=-0.78; 95%CI=-1.41~-0.15; P=0.02), and TG (MD=-2.05; 95%CI=-3.88~-0.21; P=0.03), acupuncture was more effective than the control intervention. Conclusions: In this meta-analysis, acupuncture relieved hepatic steatosis, and reduced TC, and TG in NAFLD patients. more well-planned studies are still needed due to the heterogeneity and the considerable methodological flaws in the analyzed trials.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.281-290
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• 2018

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review the research trends in the treatment of acupuncture on schizophrenia in traditional Chinese medicine. Methods: Articles in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from September 2008 to August 2018 were reviewed. The selected articles were evaluated by the Jadad Scale. Results: 11 articles were selected from a total of 33 articles. 1 study was single group before-and-after study while the other 10 studies were randomized controlled trial studies. Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders-3 was most frequently used as a diagnostic criterion. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale was most commonly used as an outcome measurement. From Jadad Quality Assessment Scale of the 11 articles, the quality of the studies generally was low. Conclusions: BaekHoi (GV20) and YinDang (EX-HN3) are most commonly used in acupuncture treatment. According to this study, acupuncture treatment in addition to western medication on schizophrenia is more effective as compared to the controls. In future, this study could be primary data for development of more clinical research on the treatment of schizophrenia in Korean medicine.