• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.29-43
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to summarize current research trends and results regarding acupuncture treatment for hypertension. Methods: Articles published from 2009 to 2019 were searched on domestic databases (OASIS, NDSL, RISS) and PubMed using the keywords 'Hypertension', 'Hypertensive', 'Acupuncture', 'EA' (electroacupuncture), 'Autonomic nervous system', 'ANS', 'CVD' (cardiovascular disease), '고혈압', '침', '전침', and '자율신경계'. The studies were analyzed according to the year, type of study (domestic or foreign articles, nationality of the first author), acupuncture type for human and animal studies, BP (blood pressure) measurement, and acupuncture intervention. Results: In total, 21 articles were selected. There were 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 3 non-randomized controlled trials (nRCTs), 2 before-after studies, 1 case series, and 7 animal studies. Manual acupuncture (11 articles) was most frequently used, and ST36 (足三里) was most frequently used in human studies. In 18 of 21 articles, acupuncture was reported as effective in lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in hypertensive patients. Conclusions: Acupuncture treatment for hypertension is deemed useful. Further studies are necessary for application of acupuncture therapy in clinical practice.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to collect and analyze studies on acupuncture therapies for treatment of voiding difficulty in stroke patients and to suggest methods of study for acupuncture therapies. Methods: Electronic searches were performed on search sites including NDSL, 국회도서관, RISS4U, DBPIA, KISS, KMBASE, KoreaMed, 한국전통지식포탈, OASIS, Pubmed, CNKI, using the search words ‘중풍’, ‘뇌졸중’, ‘stroke’, ‘배뇨장애’, ‘voiding’, ‘urinary’, ‘incontinence’, ‘retention’, ‘ ’, ‘침치료’, and ‘acupuncture’ as single or combined keywords, from January 1990 to August 2013 with language limitation, Korean, English, Chinese. Also, quality of the studies were evaluated using Jadad score. Results: The searches identified 16 studies for selection and analysis. In the present study, voiding difficulty includes urinary incontinence and urinary retention. The acupuncture points CV4, SP6, and CV3 were the most frequently used. Treatments were most frequently applied daily. The times and terms of acupuncture treatment, were most frequently 30 minutes per treatment for 4 weeks Conclusions: The acupuncture therapies were effective in the treatment of voiding difficulty in stroke patients, but the study of acupuncture therapy as a treatment for this issue in stroke patients needs to be standardized and high-quality study models should be introduced.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2015

Eating disorders is a significant failure on the dietary behavior, can be distinguished by anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. For the treatment of eating disorders, screening for medical conditions and hospitalizations are needed. Also, medications such as antidepressants may be helpful, and it should be considered a dynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and family therapy together. Recently we experienced a 24-year-old woman who was accompanied with binge eating at night, habitual vomiting, dizziness, anorexia, and general weakness. We applied Banhabaeckchulchunma-tang and acupunture treatment during 2 weeks. Through this program, patient's condition was improved on body mass index and Eating Attitude Test-26.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.557-565
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• 2019

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream in a chronic cough patient who had not responded to various medications for more than a few months. Methods: An 81 year-old female patient who was suspected to be suffered from Upper Airway Cough Syndrome (UACS) was examined. The patient was treated with local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream. We used the Leicester Cough Questionnaire, Cough-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire, and Verbal Numerical Rating Scale to assess the patient's respiratory symptoms. Results: Local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream resulted in the improvement of cough symptoms. The quality of life due to the alleviation of symptoms also significantly improved. Adverse effects were not observed. Conclusions: This study suggests that local acupuncture point stimulation and the application of a topical herbal mixed heating cream may be an effective therapy for the treatment of chronic cough in patients with UACS.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1210-1222
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the effect of acupuncture on the splenius muscle and the effect of combined Korean medicine treatment on acute dizziness in patients due to whiplash injury. Methods: Three patients with acute dizziness were treated with acupuncture of the splenius muscle and combined Korean medicine. A numeric rating scale (NRS) and the Korean dizziness handicap inventory (K-DHI) were checked every day from admission to discharge to confirm symptom improvements. Results: In the acute stage of dizziness caused by whiplash injury, acupuncture of the splenius muscle and combined Korean medicine improved the NRS and K-DHI scores. Conclusions: For patients with acute dizziness caused by whiplash injury, a combination of acupuncture on the splenius muscle and Korean medicine treatment may be a solution.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2008

A 5-year-old male Chihuahua with oral discomfort due to the presence of a maxillary acanthomatous epulis was referred to the acupuncture service at the Veterinary Medical Center of the University of Florida. For the patient, acupuncture treatments were performed for 11 sessions, at 1 month intervals with Chinese herbal medicine. The acupuncture points and Chinese herbal medicine used were selected based on TCM principles. The selected acupoints were Zusanli(ST36), Fenglong(ST40), Gongsun(SP4), Sanyinjiao(SP6), Pishu(BL20), Weishu(BL21), Taichang(LIV3), and Baihui(GV20). In addition, the Chinese herbal formulas Nei Xiao Wan and Si Jun Zi Tang were chosen. After one year of acupuncture and administration of Chinese herbal medicine, the acanthomatous epulis was remarkably decreased in size. It is considered that the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine would be useful treatments of canine acanthomatous epulis.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.34-47
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the trend of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which used acupuncture for the treatment of intellectual disability in China, and to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. Methods The RCTs published from January 2017 to July 2021 were searched using China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Then, those were analyzed by acupuncture treatment methods used and their results. Results A total of 18 randomized controlled trials were selected and analyzed. Most studies showed significantly higher Intelligence Quotient, Development Quotient, and a total effective rate in an acupuncture treatment group than those of the control group. The most used acupoints were EX-HN1 followed by Niesanzhen, Naosanzhen, Zhisanzhen, Shouzhizhen, GV20. Conclusions Based on the results of the analyzed randomized controlled trials, an acupuncture treatment has shown to be effective in the treatment of intellectual disability. However, additional well designed clinical trials are needed to solidify these findings.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.637-648
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of acupuncture on migraine prophylaxis. Method: Articles were searched from the online databases: PubMed, OASIS, NDSL, and RISS. The search keywords were "migraine prophylaxis" and "acupuncture." The inclusion criterion was randomized clinical trial. The exclusion criteria were in vivo, vitro, and review articles. Results: Eighty-nine articles were found among those published until March 2019. After reviewing the title, abstract, and original article, 10 articles were selected to show the effect of acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis. Conclusion: The effect of acupuncture for the frequency and number of days of a migraine and for the intensity of the pain seems to be effective, but the mechanism does not appear to be clear. Therefore, further research is needed in future acupuncture for migraine prevention.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.83-95
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• 2024

Objectives This review was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effects of manual acupuncture (MA) for shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS). Methods We searched 12 electronic databases (DBpia, Korean studies Information Service System [KISS], Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System [OASIS], Research Information Sharing Service [RISS], China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], CINAHL, Clinical Key, Cochrane Library, Embase, JAMA, PubMed, Web of Science) to find randomized-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) investigating therapeutic effects of MA for treating SIS. Shoulder Pain and Disability Index scores and numeric pain rating scale or visual analogue scale were analyzed as the main evaluation criteria. Results Among 181 studies, 169 were screened and only 12 RCTs were eligible in our review. Finally, 11 RCTs could be statistically analyzed. MA was more effective than sham treatment and physical therapy in terms of reducing pain (p=0.003, p=0.0007 each). Electroacupuncture (EA) showed more significant effect than physical therapy (PT) for improving shoulder pain (p<0.00001) and shoulder functionality (p<0.00001). Conclusions These results suggest that MA and EA could be superior option for treating SIS than sham treatment or PT. However this review has its limitations due to the small sample size and lack of well-designed RCTs that were included in the study. Further well-designed RCTs are necessary to provide high-level evidence.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.39-61
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• 2008

Objectives : The present study was performed to investigate whether acupuncture stimulation in the rats affected regeneration properties of the injured sciatic nerve. A differential effect of acupuncture stimulation on the one point near the spinal nerve root controlling sciatic nerve activity and the other point in the peripheral area subordinated by injured nerve was compared. Materials and Methods: Rat sciatic nerves were injured by crush, and the effects on axonal regeneration on injured sciatic nerves were evaluated by acupuncture stimulation at two different regions. In proximal acupuncture stimulation group, acupuncture stimulation was performed on Huatuo Jiaji(EX B2) points located from L5 to S1 vertebral levels to stimulate the nearest spinal nerve root that innervates sciatic nerves. In distal acupuncture stimulation group, acupuncture stimulation was performed on Zusanli(ST 36) and Weizhong(BL 40) points to stimulate at peripheral area dominated by injured sciatic nerves. Acupuncture stimulation was given every other days for 1 or 2 weeks. Sciatic nerve tissues collected from acupuncture stimulation experimental groups, injury control group, and intact animal group were used for protein analysis by Western blotting or Hoechst nuclear staining. To determine axonal regeneration, Dil fluorescence dye was injected into the sciatic nerve 0.5 cm distal to the injury site in individual animal groups and Dil-labeled cells by retrograde tracing were measured in the DRG at lumbar 5 or in the spinal cord. DRG sensory neurons prepared from individual animal groups were used to measure the extent of neurite outgrowth and for immunofluorescence staining with anti-GAP-43 antibody. Results : Animal groups given proximal or distal acupuncture stimulation showed upregulation of GAP-43 and Cdc2 protein levels in the sciatic nerve at 7 days after injury. Cdk2 protein levels were strongly induced by nerve injury, but did not show changes by acupuncture stimulation. Phospho-Erk1/2 protein levels were elevated by acupuncture stimulation above those present in the injury control animals. These increase in regeneration-associated protein levels appeared to be related with increase cell proliferation in the injured sciatic nerves. Hoechst 33258 staining of sciatic nerve tissue to visualize nuclei of individual cells showed increased Schwann cell number in the distal portion of the injured nerve 7 and 14 days after injury and further increases by acupuncture stimulation particularly at the proximal position. Measurement of axonal regeneration by retrograde tracing showed significantly increased Dil-labeled cells in proximal acupuncture stimulation group compared to distal acupuncture stimulation group and injury control group. Finally, an evaluation of axonal regeneration by retrograde tracing showed increased number of Dil labeled cells in the DRG at lumbar 5 or in the ventral horn of the spinal cord at lower thoracic level at 7 days after nerve injury. Conclusions : The present data show that the proximal acupuncture stimulation at Huatuo Jiaji(EX B2) points governing injured sciatic nerves was more effective for axonal regeneration than the distal acupuncture stimulation. Further studies on functional recovery or associated molecular mechanisms should be critical for developing animal models and clinical applications.