• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.389-404
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate acupuncture therapy for post-stroke cognitive disorder to suggest the methods of a study about acupuncture therapy. Methods: Several academic databases were used in this study, including National Digital Science Library (NDSL), National Assembly Library of Korea, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), Korean studies Information Service System (KISS), Korean Medical Database (KMBASE), Korea Med, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), PubMed, MEDLINE with Full Text, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Keywords used were "중풍", "뇌졸중", "인지장애", "침", "acupuncture", and "cognitive disorder". Results: Ultimately, 28 papers were investigated. that were mainly published in 2012 and 2016. Of these, More than two-thirds received a score of one or less on the Jadad scale. Acupuncture points such as GV20, GV24, PC6, EX-HN1, SP6, and GV26 were most frequently used. The treatment duration was mostly 30 minutes or less, and the treatment cycle was mostly for four weeks. Dilatational wave was generally used in pulse wave form, and amplitude of electricity was increased until patients were able to endure. G6805 was generally used in electric acupuncture apparatus. According to results of acupuncture treatment, assessments such as the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) and the Montreal Cognitive Function Assessment Scale (MoCA) showed statistically significant improvements in 28 studies. Conclusions: Future research is needed to standardize the treatment of acupuncture, and more diversified high quality papers should be published to help clarify the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and the mechanisms of cognitive disorder post-stroke.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.191-203
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical effects of heating-conduction therapy on lateral ligament injury induced by ankle sprain grade II. Methods: The 67 outpatients who were diagnosed as ankle sprain grade II were performed heating-conduction acupuncture therapy on lateral ligament injury. To evaluate the efficiency of heating-conduction acupuncture therapy, pain threshold with pressure algometer and visual analogue scale(VAS) were applied pretreatment and after 1st, 2nd treatment. Results: 1. The pain threshold and VAS score after 1st and 2nd treatment with an isolated injury of the anterior talofibular ligament showed statistically significant improvement compared with pretreatment. 2. The VAS score after 1st and 2nd treatment with an combined injury to the anterior talofibular and the calcaneofibular ligament showed statistically significant improvement compared with pretreatment. 3. The VAS score after 1st and 2nd treatment with an combined injury to the anterior talofibular, calcaneofibular and posterior talofibular ligament showed statistically significant improvement compared with pretreatment. 4. After 1st and 2nd treatment on the posterior talofibular ligament and after 2nd treatment on the anterior taofibular and calcaneofibular ligament with an combined injury to the anterior talofibular, calcaneofibular and posterior talofibular ligament the pain threshold showed statistically significant improvement compared with pretreatment. 5. Between isolated injury and combined injury of lateral ligament, the difference in pain threshold and VAS score was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Heating-conduction acupuncture therapy has clinical effects of pain reduction on patient with an isolated injury and combined injury of lateral ligament induced by ankle sprain grade II.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.135-148
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• 2023

Objectives To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of post-disaster musculoskeletal pain by reviewing relevant clinical studies. Methods A systematic search was conducted across 10 electronic databases to identify relevant clinical studies on acupuncture treatment for post-disaster musculoskeletal pain until May 2023. The methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 and Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non-randomized studies tools. Results Six articles were analyzed, including two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), two before-after studies, one qualitative research, and one case series. Overall, acupuncture therapy showed some improvement in pain scale among musculoskeletal pain survivors. However, no significant improvement was observed in the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2). Subgroup analysis of participants who completed at least four acupuncture sessions revealed a significant effect on the SFMPQ-2. Additionally, a significant improvement in 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF36P) was observed after 6 months of treatment, but the 2-month treatment period did not show statistically significant effects on SF-36P improvement. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the RCTs identified some concerns of bias. Conclusions The results suggest that acupuncture is effective in alleviating post-disaster musculoskeletal pain. However, considering the limited number of selected studies and the inclusion of subjective evaluation measures, caution should be exercised in interpreting the results. Further large-scale follow-up studies are needed to determine the optimal frequency and duration of acupuncture treatment. Well-designed controlled trials should be conducted to provide more robust evidence regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for post-disaster musculoskeletal pain.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2015

Objectives : To investigate the clinical features of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and traditional Korean medicine (TKM) -based management. Methods : A female patient diagnosed with DILI caused by Western drugs had been treated with Oriental therapies, then the subjective clinical outcome and biochemical parameters were monitored. Results : A 73-year-old female had taken Western drugs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and skeletal muscle relaxants) for about 3 months, and complained of severe abdominal discomfort and tiredness. Her RUCAM score was 9, which met the criteria for DILI (AST 90 IU/L, ALT 100 IU/L, ALP 191 IU/L, and GGT 614 IU/L). She was treated with herbal drugs, moxibustion, and acupuncture, and her symptoms completely resolved, with normalized hepatic enzymes within two weeks. Conclusions : This case report provides a clinical characteristic for a typical DILI caused by Western medicine, and shows an example of a TKM-based application.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.279-292
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• 2021

Objectives: Analyze papers on the effect of acupuncture on cancer pain from a macroscopic point of view, suggesting global trends and future research directions to promote acupuncture treatment for cancer pain. Methods: By filtering the papers searched for (acupuncture) AND (cancer pain) in the Web of Science database, 351 papers were selected and analyzed by year, field, journal, institution, author, and keyword. Results: Most papers were published in 2020, and research was active in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. Research on the effects of acupuncture in cancer pain has been active in cancer centers and university hospitals, research has been active in various countries. The most frequently mentioned keywords in the titles and abstracts were acupuncture, pain, and quality of life. The latest top 5 keywords were inhibitor-induced arthralgia, acupuncture therapy, risk factors, opioids, and recovery. Conclusions: Acupuncture treatment has the potential to reduce pain and improve quality of life in cancer patients, and it should be actively studied in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.140-149
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• 2023

Objectives: This case report aims to describe the effects of craniosacral therapy and acupuncture in a patient with chronic migraine. Methods: A 33-year-old man with chronic migraine was treated with 20 sessions of craniosacral therapy and acupuncture for 8 weeks. The number of migraine and headache days were monitored every month. The pain intensity of headache was measured on the visual analog scale (VAS). Korean Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) and Migraine Specific Quality of Life (MSQoL) were also used. Results: The number of headache days per month reduced from 28 to 7 after 8 weeks of treatment and to 3 after 3 months of treatment. The pain intensity of headache based on VAS reduced from 7.5 to 3 after 8 weeks and further to < 1 after 3 months of treatment. Furthermore, the patient's HIT-6 and MSQoL scores improved during the treatment period, which was maintained or further improved at the 3 month follow-up. No side effects were observed during or after the treatment. Conclusion: This case indicates that craniosacral therapy and acupuncture could be effective treatments for chronic migraine. Further studies are required to validate the efficacy of craniosacral therapy for chronic migraine.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2003

Acupuncture is a complementary medical treatment whose use in cancer patients has been recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS) for the treatment of cancer and treatment-related symptoms. Pain, nausea, breathlessness, vasomotor symptoms and limb edema have all been found to respond to this treatment modality. This has become quite familiar to many Koreans not only for pain, but also for many other health problems, both in acute and chronic conditions. Actually, acupuncture is a therapeutic technique that is part of a larger system of traditional oriental medicine. There are several styles of acupuncture. We treated one 72-year-old female patient with Dongshiqixue Acupuncture Technique who had refused surgical operation for brain meningioma showing right hemiparesis, dysarthria, headache and dizziness. During the acupuncture treatment, there were no other adverse effects. After six day's treatment, she could ambulate and make usual life all by herself. On her brain magnetic resonence image follow-up, there was no interval change in meningioma. After discharged from our hospital, she has kept up her independent daily life as before. So it is suggested that some acupuncture treatment should be effect on brain meningioma clinically.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.182-201
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• 2024

Objectives: This study was conducted to develop a standard acupotomy consent form that takes into account the unique characteristics of Korean Medicine. The study was motivated by the increasing importance of patient autonomy and the growing number of legal disputes related to medical malpractice in the clinical field of Korean Medicine. Methods: The analysis phase of the study involved a survey of the current status of acupotomy consent forms in Korean Medicine hospitals nationwide. The items of each form were analyzed based on the contents of the Medical law and the standard contract for medical procedures of the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). In the development and evaluation phase, the items and contents of the acupotomy consent form were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale and content validity was assessed through two rounds of Delphi surveys. In the improvement phase, the contents of the consent form were revised based on the results of a survey of inpatient and outpatient patients in the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion at Pusan National University Korean Medicine Hospital, and real-time online meeting. The final version of the standard acupotomy consent form was completed after undergoing proofreading and corrections by a linguistics expert. Results: Only 30% of Korean Medicine hospitals have implemented acupotomy consent forms. The items of the consent forms did not fully include the items presented in the Medical act and the standard contract for medical procedures of the FTC. To address this issue, two rounds of Delphi surveys and a real-time discussion were conducted with a panel of 12 experts on 27 preliminary items of consent forms. The items and contents that met the criteria for content validity ratio, convergence, and consensus were derived. Based on the derived items and content, a standard acupotomy consent form was developed. Conclusions: The standard consent form for acupotomy is anticipated to ensure patient autonomy and enhance transparency and liability in acupotomy. Furthermore, it is expected to serve as evidence in case of medical disputes related to acupotomy and contribute as a reference document for the development of standard consents forms for various procedures of Korean Medicine. However, the limitations of the study include that the survey of consent forms was limited to only training hospitals of Korean Medicine, and the standard consent form is only applicable to adults in Korea. Future studies are needed to address these limitations.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.1237-1244
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• 2021

Objectives: Drug fever and procedure-related fever are the causes of nosocomial fever. Oriental medicine has been practiced in Asia and is now being practiced as an alternative medicine in western countries. No data are available on the incidence of drug fever and procedure-related fever in oriental medical hospitals (OMHs). The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of drug fever related to oriental herbal medicine and oriental medical procedure-related fever. Methods: This was a retrospective study at one OMH of a university medical institute in Seoul, Korea, conducted from June 2006 to June 2013. Results: Overall, 95 episodes of drug fever occurred among 10880 patients treated with herbal medicine (0.89%). Peak body temperature was 38.37±0.58 ℃, and the fever lasted for 1.0 day (range 1.0-17.0 days). Eosinophilia was found in 15 patients (15.79%) and 8 patients developed toxic hepatitis (8.42%). Five patients had a drug-related skin rash (5.26%). The most common ingredients of the herbal medicines associated with drug fever were licorice, Angelica gigas root, and white Atractylodes rhizome. In total, 16 episodes of procedure-related fever (0.20%) occurred in 8125 patients treated with oriental medical procedures. The peak body temperature was 38.26±0.51 ℃, and the fever lasted for 1.0 day (range 1.0-3.0 days). Among various oriental medical procedures, moxibustion was the most common procedure related to fever, followed by acupuncture. Conclusions: The incidence of drug fever and procedure-related fever in oriental medicine is not high compared with the incidence in western medicine.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.25-40
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• 2022

■Objectives This study aimed to collect and analyze clinical studies on the significance of acupuncture in the treatment of hypertension among Korean patients. ■Methods Among Korean patients with a blood pressure (BP) of 120 mmHg or higher and a diastolic BP of 80 mmHg or higher, those, treated with acupuncture only, were included. A literature search was conducted through 'Embase', 'Medline', 'Science and Technology Information Integration Service (NDSL)', 'Traditional Korean Knowledge Portal (OASIS)', 'PubMed', and 'Scopus'. The search keywords were (hypertension OR 'blood pressure') AND acupuncture. The papers, published before the day of the search (02. January 2022), were included in this study. ■Results Among the 12 selected papers, seven involved randomized controlled trial (RCT), four before-and-after studies, and one case series. The number of RCTs has increased yearly. The treatment methods used in the studies included needle acupuncture in eight studies, auricular acupuncture in two, pharmacopuncture in one, and si-acupuncture in one. The average numbers of patients enrolled in RCTs, before-and-after studies, and case series were 21.1, 30, and 23 respectively. Six studies were conducted on prehypertensive patients, two on stage 1 hypertension patients, and four on stage 2 hypertension patients. The involved acupoints have been reported to be ST36 in eight papers, LI11 in four papers, and PC6 in three papers. The treatment period lasted for < 1 week in eight studies and 8 weeks in four studies. Acupuncture successfully lowered blood pressure in nine out of 12 studies ■Conclusions Acupuncture is a viable alternative treatment option for prehypertensive patients, who are not taking medications. Additionally, it is also useful in further lowering the BP of patients with stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension in the short term. Large-scale and long-term studies on acupuncture for hypertension should be conducted.