• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.56-69
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• 2018

Objectives : The aim of this study is to review the current research trend on the acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for pancreatitis. Methods : Through nine search engines, articles were collected, which had involved the use of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for pancreatitis. Data were extracted from the selected articles regarding the year, country, type of pancreatitis, study design, evaluation variable, intervention, point for acupuncture and moxibustion, and effectiveness of treatment. Results : Total 56 articles were reviewed. The number of studies increased gradually every ten years. Fifty-one studies(91%) were conducted in China. Most of clinical studies and animal experimentations reported on acute pancreatitis. Thirty-nine studies were randomized controlled trials(RCTs), but most of them were assessed as uncertain in the risk of bias evaluation. The degree of overall improvement(79%) was used mainly as evaluation variable of clinical studies. In animal experimentations, the examination of pancreatitis tissue(77%) and blood test(77%) were used the most. Most of studies were conducted with the acupuncture, one with moxibustion. Among them, electroacupuncture was the most common intervention of treatment group. ST36 was the most frequently used acupuncture point in the included studies. Effective rate increased and serum amylase, clinical symptoms, recovery time of gastrointestinal function decreased statistically significantly in the treatment group of clinical studies. Conclusions : The result of this study could be used for the future practice and research about the acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for pancreatitis.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.91-97
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• 2018

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate immune regulatory effects of the pharmacopuncture with MOK on hyperthyroid rats. Methods : The experimental hyperthyroidism was prepared by the intraperitoneal injection of L-thyroxine(LT4, 0.5 mg/kg) once daily for 2 weeks in Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats. The pharmacopuncture with MOK extract(MOK pharmacopuncture) at doses of 0.3 or 3 mg/kg was injected on acupuncture points in the thyroid glands of hyperthyroid rats once a day for 2 weeks. Propylthiouracil(PTU, 10 mg/kg) as a reference group was subcutaneously injected into the dorsal neck. We measured the levels of $IFN-{\gamma}$ and IL-4 in the sera of rats using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay(ELISA) and determined the expression of $IFN-{\gamma}$, IL-4, IL-10, and Foxp3 in spleen tissues by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). Results : The treatment of MOK pharmacopuncture in hyperthyroid rats significantly decreased the serum levels of Th1 cytokine, $IFN-{\gamma}$(p<0.01 for MOK 0.3 mg/kg, p<0.05 for MOK 3 mg/kg, and p<0.05 for PTU) and significantly increased the levels of Th2 cytokine, IL-4(p<0.05 for MOK 0.3 mg/kg, p<0.001 for MOK 3 mg/kg, and p<0.05 for PTU) compared to control group. Also, the MOK pharmacopuncture significantly increased IL-4 expression(p<0.05 for MOK 3 mg/kg, and p<0.05 for PTU), IL-10(p<0.05 for MOK 3 mg/kg, and p<0.01 for PTU), and Foxp3(p<0.01 for MOK 0.3 mg/kg, p<0.05 for MOK 3 mg/kg and p<0.01 for PTU) in spleen tissues of hyperthyroid rats compared to control group. Conclusions : Our results suggest that MOK pharmacopuncture can help to ameliorate the pathological progression of hyperthyroidism by regulation of the Th1/Th2 imbalance.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.70-81
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• 2018

Objectives : To investigate the association of trial registration status with presence of reporting bias including publication bias and outcome reporting bias in recently published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture. Methods : A PubMed search for RCTs of acupuncture published from March 2016 to February 2017 was conducted. Primary outcomes were identified and the direction of the results was judged as positive (i.e., statistically significant) or negative. The trial registration was identified by manually screening the trial registration number in the main text of the published article and classified into 1) prospective registration; 2) retrospective registration based on the registration date or; 3) no registration. Results : Of the 125 included RCTs, only 40 studies (32.0%) prospectively registered the study protocols. Among 65 RCTs that adequately reported the primary outcome, unregistered trials were more likely to report positive results than the registered ones (p=0.013). Of the 40 prospectively registered studies, 19 trials (47.5%) had the discrepancies between the registered and published primary outcomes and furthermore, 40% of them reported the positive findings. Conclusions : Unregistered trials were more likely to report positive results and the discrepancies between the registered and published primary outcomes were detected in about a half of the prospectively registered studies, 42.1% of which tended to report positive findings. Journal editors and researchers in this field should be alerted to various reporting biases.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.98-104
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• 2018

Objectives : It is noted that Jukheon-Silheombang(Actual Formulas of Jukheon), is a rare book published by a private physician in 1950s. The study of this book is the data that can be used to see how the acupuncture of Huh-Im is inherited and performed in the local small towns right after the Korean War. Methods : Through the investigation of various literature data and interviews with the author's descendants, Jukheon-Silheombang's related figures, citation documents, book formation and content characteristics were descriptively analyzed. Results and Conclusions : Jukheon-Silheombang can be used to study characteristics of acupuncture treatments given in a small town in the late 1950s. It has the significance of preserving traditional acupuncture such as the Sakwan point method and inheriting the clinical utility of Chimgu-Kyungheombang(Acupucture & Moxibustion Skills Guide) of Huh-Im.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.82-90
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of acupoint and meridian muscle massage given by automatic massage chair. Methods : We recruited 30 patients with back pain who met inclusion criteria. Two weeks were given as a waiting period, and the massage intervention was applied 12 times for 4 weeks. The programmed automatic massage chair was used to provide effective stimulus on acupoints and meridians for 20 minutes. We used Visual analog scale(VAS) and Korean Oswestry Disability Index(KODI) to quantify pain and function. We also recorded patients' all of vital signs and abnormal reactions during the trial to asses to assess safety. Results : Two participants dropped out due to personal reasons and 28 participants completed the clinical trial. We found that the degree of back pain (VAS, KODI) decreased significantly after the trial. As a result, VAS score decreased from $6.44{\pm}0.85$(Visit 2) to $4.59{\pm}1.52$ (Visit 14)(p<0.001), and KODI score was also reduced from $14.79{\pm}5.13$(Visit 14) to $9.04{\pm}4.52$ (Visit 2) (p<0.001). Also, we did not find any adverse effects in this study. Conclusions : We found that the acupoint and meridian muscle massage can effectively decrease back pain. This proves that the massage program designed by Korean medicine can be a good option to patients with back pain. However, further study with controlled design is still needed to verify its effectiveness.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.37-45
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• 2020

Objectives : Mitochondria are typically known as intracellular double membrane-bound structures that supply energy for intracellular metabolism including Krebs cycle and beta-oxidation. Also, acupuncture has been known to stimulate the flow of energy. To explore the effect of acupuncture on the mitochondrial respiratory chain activities in rat's heart and kidneys, the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I to IV were observed. Methods : The rats were divided into 11 groups; Normal (no acupuncture treatment and under anesthesia for 10 min), heart meridian five-transport-points (acupuncture treatment at HT9, HT8, HT7, HT4 and HT3 under anesthesia for 10 min), and kidney meridian five-transport-points (acupuncture treatment at KI1, KI2, KI3, KI7 and KI10 under anesthesia for 10 min). All rats were sacrificed and the heart and kidneys were examined for the changes of respiratory chain activities. Results : Acupuncture at HT7 increased the activity of succinate dehydrogenase; acupuncture at KI2 increased the activity of ubiquinol cytochrome C oxidoreductase; and acupuncture at HT9, HT8, HT3 and KI1 increased activities of cytochrome C oxidase. Conclusions : Acupuncture assists mitochondrial repiratory chain activity via the Cytochrome C oxidase signaling pathway in heart and kidney of rats.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.46-53
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• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to report the effects of Korean medicine therapy on patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Methods : In this study, we used Korean medicine treatments, including acupuncture, bee venom therapy, chuna manual therapy, and others, to treat hospitalized patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome. Improvements in clinical symptoms were evaluated using a numeric rating scale (NRS), the short form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and changes in the number of tender points. Results : After Korean medicine treatment, the NRS scores reduced from 10 to 7 (Patient 1) and from 10 to 5 (Patient 2). The SF-MPQ scores decreased from 33 to 26 (Patient 1) and from 25 to 18 (Patient 2). The number of tender points reduced from 18 to 15 (Patient 1) and from 12 to 11 (Patient 2). Conclusions : In both patients, the NRS scores, SF-MPQ scores, and number of tender points significantly improved. The results suggest that Korean medicine treatments, including acupuncture, bee venom therapy, chuna manual therapy, and others, may be effective for treating fibromyalgia syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.203-208
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• 2020

Objectives : Since there are complex associations between diseases/symptoms and acupoints, one-to-one correspondence may not be the proper approach. Pattern identification has been being used as a clinical framework to make treatment decisions by extracting and synthesizing clinical data including patients' signs and symptoms. In this article, we propose two different models explaining the relationships between diseases and acupoints based on the branch treatment [Zhibiaofa] and the root treatment [Zhibenfa]. Methods : We explained the relationships between diseases/symptoms and acupoints from the example data from our previous study on traditional acupuncture point selection patterns for pain control. Diseases include low back pain, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoarthritis, ankle sprain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and dysmenorrhea, and acupoints included LI4, BL23, BL25, SP6, BL60, TE5, and CV4. Results : The relationships between diseases/symptoms and acupoints can be explained directly based on the branch treatment, and also can be explained indirectly through pattern identification based on the root treatment. Pattern identifications included both meridian-based pattern identification based on the spatial information of diseases and visceral organ-based pattern identification based on the characteristics of diseases. Conclusions : In the East Asian traditional medicine, Korean medicine doctors choose the most appropriate acupoints based either on the diseases/symptoms (i.e., branch treatment) or on the results of pattern identifications (i.e., root treatment). It is necessary to understand the two different approaches to choose specific acupoints for the targeted diseases.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.159-171
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• 2020

Objectives : This study aimed to understand the characteristics of the cases covered in the case studies on traditional Korean medicine (TKM) and furthermore, to provide basic information that can lead the discussion on 'what cases are worth reporting' in future case reports. Methods : Case reports on TKM were searched using the OASIS. The searched researches were analyzed according to the type of case, including information on disease/symptoms and intervention. Results : A total of 940 researches were searched. The most frequently reported type of case study was the report on the effectiveness of intervention. Case reports, which were only two cases in the 1970s, increased rapidly in the 2000s, and in particular, 314 cases within the last five years accounted for about 33% of the total literature. As for the number of studies by disease, the cases dealing with musculoskeletal diseases such as spine, shoulder and knee joint disorders were the most prevalent. Besides, there were many case reports related to cardiovascular, gynecological, cancer, psychiatric, and dermatological diseases. In a total of 51.9% of the included case reports, a combination of two or more Korean medical treatments such as acupuncture and herbal medicine was used at once, and western treatment was used with Korean medical treatment in 28.2% of the studies. The types of Korean medical treatments were varied, such as acupuncture, moxibustion, pharmacopuncture, electroacupuncture, Chuna, acupotomy, herbal medicine, external preparation, and psychotherapy. The main purpose of the publication of the included case reports was analyzed as a report of TKM treatment for rare diseases, or the application of TKM treatment to diseases or symptoms that are "uncommon in TKM treatment" even if it is not a rare disease. Conclusions : Case reports have the strength of generating new scientific hypotheses by detecting the basic needs and novelty of medicine. The current case studies of TKM do not seem to be sufficient to highlight these strengths. It is necessary to discuss which cases are reported as cases of patients worth publishing, and based on this, it is necessary to activate case studies of TKM by utilizing diagnostic tools and science technology.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.145-158
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• 2020

Objectives : Mast cells, the multifunctional immune cells which can be activated by various stimulations, have been in the limelight recently at the fields of acupuncture research. This study aimed to investigate the association between the distribution of mast cell and acupoint specificity. We focused on the characteristics of mast cell distribution of acupoints in normal, pathologically sensitized, and acupoint-stimulated state. Methods : Literature searches were performed on PubMed and EMBASE for dates ranging to February 2019, by using terms "acupuncture", "moxibustion", "acupoint", "mast cell". Finally, 18 papers were collected by inclusion and exclusion criteria. To assess the quality of included studies, modified SYRCLE's risk of bias tool for animal studies was used. Results : Overall, the studies showed that the number of the mast cells was higher in acupoints than non-acupoints. After pathological sensitization, increasing tendency towards the mast cell number was reported in acupoints. The increase of mast cells was also observed after acupuncture or moxibustion. However, when the acupoint stimulation was repeated for several days in pathological models, the results did not show consistent tendency. In quality assessments, most of the studies showed unclear risk of bias. Conclusions : The studies showed a consistent trend about the association with mast cell distribution and acupoint specificity. However, we could not certainly affirm the relationship due to insufficient qualities of included studies. Not only the distribution but also the functions should be considered in further researches to identify the relationship between mast cells and acupuncture effect.