• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.1-15
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of massive clinical research and to make a basic analysis on the effectiveness and safety of moxibustion treatment on knee osteoarthritis compared to usual care. Methods and Results : This study is a protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Forty participants are assigned to the moxibustion group (n=20) and usual care group (n=20). Participants assigned to the moxibustion group receive moxibustion treatment on the affected knee(s) at six standard acupuncture points (ST36, ST35, ST34, SP9, Ex-LE04 and SP10) three times per week for four weeks (total of 12 sessions). Participants in the usual care group don't receive moxibustion treatment during the study period and follow-up are made on the 5th, 9th and 13th weeks after random allocation. Both groups are allowed to use any kind of treatment, including surgery, conventional medication, physical treatment, acupuncture, herbal medicine, over-the-counter drugs and other active treatments. Education material that explains knee osteoarthritis and current management options and self-exercise is provided for each group. The pain scale of the Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Questionnaire (K-WOMAC) is the primary outcome measurement used in this study. Other subscales of the K-WOMAC, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Physical Function test, Patient Global Assessment, and Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) are used as outcome variables to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture. Safety is assessed at every visit. Conclusions : The result of this trial will provide a basis for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.145-163
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• 2009

Background : Stroke occurrences are prevalent and require intensive care for its treatment and rehabilitation. Acupuncture has been widely used in Korea throughout the history and provides an efficient method in the treatment of it. Objectives : To establish a distinctive and efficient acupuncture method for the treatment of stroke based in literature research. Method : We reviewed four Korean medical literature, $ll$治腫指南Guide to Swollen Sore Treatment$gg$, $ll$東醫寶鑑Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine$gg$, $ll$鍼灸經驗方Experiential Prescriptions of Acupuncture and Moxibustion$gg$, and $ll$舍岩鍼法Essential Rhymes on Acupuncture and Moxibustion by Master Sa-am$gg$, and analyzed the therapeutic characteristics in the treatment of stroke. Result : 1. In $ll$治腫指南Guide to Swollen Sore Treatment$gg$, various types of treatment can be found. Besides acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion with moxa tube, and bath therapy using Duchesneae Indicae Herba and Sal was applied. Needling in sublingual and vocal region, and also points like GB20, GB31, LI15, BL60, GV20, GV20, TE4, GB39, LU5, ST36, GB30 were frequently inserted. 2. In $ll$東醫寶鑑Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine$gg$, moxibustion treatment were in top priority. Points like GV20, LI15, LI11, GB31, ST36, GB39, LI4, GB20 pertinent to Governor, Conception, Gallbladder, Large Intestine, and Stomach meridian were most frequently needled. Selection of adjacent point was widely applied. 3. $ll$鍼灸經驗方Experiential Prescriptions of Acupuncture and Moxibustion$gg$ has some similarity compared to $ll$東醫寶鑑 Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine$gg$ in considering the moxa in top priority. But selected points far from the disease site. Main points were LI4, ST36, GB39, PC5, GV20, LI11, LR3, BL40, HT7. 4. $ll$校勘 舍岩道人鍼法Essential Rhymes on Acupuncture and Moxibustion by Master Sa-am$gg$ having the same content orders with $ll$鍼灸經驗方Experiential Prescriptions of Acupuncture and Moxibustion$gg$, it may had some influence from it. But the differences are also apparent. It emphasized in using mother-supplementing child-draining method, experiential prescriptions and visceral pattern identification. Conclusions : We could find various efficient methods through literature research of medical classics. This will not be limited in stroke alone but also will be applied in other diseases. This study will concurrently result in establishing distinctive therapeutic method characteristic of Korea.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2005

Objectives : The purpose of this study is as follows. We classify belly-ache into six kinds as mentioned in DongUiBoGam (東醫寶鑑), and are going to present each acupuncture & moxibustion treatment. Methods : For the purpose of looking for each treatment, we referred to a large number of literature for belly-ache treatment from ancient to malearn. Results : The six kinds of belly-ache have each treatment above all, in treatment of belly-ache due to cold-belly-ache (寒腹痛) and hotbelly-ache (熱腹痛) have pain in the formable of ache part. Therefore, general point such as CVl2, CV8, ST36, Extra Meridian are used in turn. Also bad-blood-belly ache and many kinds of belly-ache such as BL18, BL17, LR2 are mainly used much in turn. Especially CV is in common use. Conclusions : we conclude that six kinds of belly-ache have each different acupuncture & moxibustion points and treatment, so if we follow each treatment we might obtain more higher treatment rate of belly-ache.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2008

Background : Acupuncture has been used as a clinical treatment in Oriental medicine for various diseases including pain relief. The descending pain control system of periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a powerful pain control system in mammalians. Expression of c-Fos is used as a marker for stimuli-induced metabolic changes of neurons. Objective : In the present study, the effects of acupuncture on analgesic effect in visceral pain were investigated through the writhing reflex and c-Fos expression in ventrolateral PAG (vlPAG) area using immunohistochemistry in mice. Method : For the writhing test, mice were divided into five groups. Immediately after finishing the behavioral test, the animals were weighed and overdosed with Zoletil. After a complete lack of response was observed, the brains of the mice were dissected into serial coronal sections, and c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed. Statistical analysis of all data was performed using one-way ANOVA. Result : The present results showed that acupuncture affected the writhing reflex and that Choksamni (zusnali) acupoint and aspirin significantlysuppressed acetic acid treatment-induced increased writhing reflex, and the expression of c-Fos in vlPAG was significantly increased in the acupunctured group. Conclusion : The present study suggests that acupuncture has an antinociceptive effect on acetic acid-induced visceral pain by increase of c-Fos expression in mice. Aspirin also showed analgesic effect, however the mechanism is different from the acupuncture.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.105-111
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• 2007

Objectives : The aims of this study are to find out proper methods to assess Bell's palsy with DITI and to validate the correlation between DITI of acupoints and the H-B scale. Methods : 36 Bell's palsy patients and 10 healthy people were measured. We checked thermal differences between abnormal and normal acupoint sites measured by using DITI and the H-B scale. Results : There was no significant thermal difference between abnormal and normal sites. The H-B scale was significantly correlated with thermal differences between $ST_6$ and $TE_{17}$. Conclusions : DITI was useful for evaluating the severity of Bell's palsy.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.35-57
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze literature on oriental medicine to investigate the pathology, acupuncture, and moxibustion therapy applicable to alopecia Methods : We searched for the causes of alopecia in the bibliographic data from 41 sources of literature and the acupunctural treatments for alopecia in the bibliographic data from 49 sources of Chinese and Korean literature and from the journals of the acupunctural treatments for alopecia which have been published since 2000. Results : 1. The main causes of alopecia are blood deficiency, blood heat, static blood, depletion of kidney's water, wind excess, seven emotional damage, dietary damage, etc. 2. The acupuncture points frequently used are $GV_{20}$, $GB_{20}$, $ST_{36}$, $SP_6$, $SP_{10}$, $BL_{17}$, $BL_{18}$, $BL_{23}$, $GV_{23}$, $GV_{14}$, $CV_6$, $ST_8$, $KI_3$, $LR_3$, $HT_7$, $LI_{11}$, EX-$HN_1$, and ouch point. 3. New acupuncture therapies, including herbal acupuncture therapy, ear acupuncture therapy, dermal needle therapy, needle-embedding therapy and scalp acupuncture therapy are frequently used to treat alopecia. Conclusions : The acupuncture points frequently used for treating alopecia have characteristics such as tonifying blood, tonifying the liver and kidney, extinguishing wind, activating blood, clearing heat and draining dampness, so they are highly associated with the causes and the mechanisms of alopecia.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.37-68
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• 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to systematically review thread-embedding treatment studies for depression, anxiety, and dementia and examine the effectiveness and safety of thread-embedding treatment. Methods: Ten domestic and international search databases were used for study selection, including CNKI, PubMed, CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycArticles, RISS, OASIS, and KCI. We included studies that presented diagnostic or appropriate criteria for depression, anxiety, and dementia, and randomized control studies using thread-embedding therapy. We searched papers published until October 10, 2023. Results: Twenty-one studies were selected, of which 11 studies were conducted on depression, nine on dementia, and one on anxiety disorders. The most commonly used acupoint for depression was Gansu (BL18), whereas zusanli (ST36) and fenglong (ST40) were used for dementia. The most commonly used type of thread was 1-0 United States pharmacopeia (USP) and 1 cm for depression and 2-0 USP and 1 cm for dementia. The treatment period for most of the studies was once every 2 weeks and for 8 weeks. Among the included studies, 17 showed significant improvements in depression scales, such as Hamilton depression rating scale and Self rating depression scale, activities of daily living scales, and cognitive function scales, such as Hasegawa dementia scale and Mini-mental state examination. Six studies reported adverse events, and no studies reported significant adverse events. Two studies reported follow-ups. Conclusions: This study presents limited evidence for the effectiveness and safety of thread-embedding therapy for depression, anxiety, and dementia. Well-designed studies are needed to review the clinical efficacy and safety of thread-embedding therapy in the future.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.277-289
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• 2009

Recently, functional MRI has been used to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms of acupuncture and the specificity of acupoint. The group data tend to be regarded as more important than the individual data in the most of previous studies. This study was designed to investigate the effect of the variability of individual data on the group results. A functional MRI (fMRI) of the whole brain was performed in fifteen healthy subjects during placebo and acupuncture stimulations at the ST36 acupoint. After remaining at rest for 30 seconds, the acupuncture was inserted and twisted at the rate of 2 Hz for 45 seconds and then the acupuncture was removed immediately. This process was repeated three times. Individual and group analyses were performed by voxel-based analyses using SPM2 software. Visual inspections of the activation and deactivation maps from individual sessions have shown the large variability across fifteen subjects. This means that the group data reflected the brain activation responses of only a few subjects. We suggest that the individual data should be presented to demonstrate the effect of acupuncture.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 2007

목적 : Signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (Stat 6) 유전자는 면역세포의 발달에 있어서 중요한 유전인자이며, IL-4와 같은 사이토카인에 의해 유전자 발현이 조절된다. 본 연구에서는 Stat 6 유전자 제거 생쥐와 정상 (wild type, W/T) 생쥐에 carrageenan으로 염증을 유도한 후 족삼리에 침치료를 시행하여 시상하부에서의 유전자 발현 양상을 분석하고자 하였다. 방 법 : BALB/c (W/T, n=12) and BALB/c-Stat 6 유전자 제거 생쥐 (n=12)의 발뒤꿈치 표피에 1% carrageenan을 30 ul 주사하여 염증을 유도하였다. 침은 염증 유도 30분 후에 족삼리(ST36)에 시침하였으며, 염증유도에 의한 부종 증가율을 매 시간마다 측정하여 총 5시간동안 측정하였다. 마이크로에러이는 Stat 6 유전자 제거 생쥐를 염증 유발 군과 염증유발 후 침을 처치한 군으로 나누고, 시상하부를 적출하여 RNA를 분리한뒤 마이크로어레이 프로파일을 분석하였다. 결 과 : 염증에 의한 부종증가율을 비교한 결과, Stat 6 유전자 제거 생쥐 그룹의 부종증가율이 W/T 생쥐의 부종 증가율보다 약 50 % 정도 감소하였으며, 각 3, 4, 5시간째에 유의한 차이를 나타내었다. (각 p<0.05). W.T생쥐군과 Stat 6 유전자 제거 생쥐군 모두에서, 침 처치군이 염증 유발 군에 비해, 염증 유발 2시간 후부터 유의한 감소를 나타내었다. 시상하부의 유전자 발현을 관찰한 결과, 39개의 유전자가 3배 이상 감소하였으며, 19개의 유전자는 3배 이상 증가하였다. 결 론 : W/T 생쥐군과 Stat 6 유전자 제거 생쥐 모두에서 침의 진통효과는 나타나며, 이의 기전에는 시상하부에서의 침 치료에 의한 염증관련 유전자들의 감소와, 항염증과 관련된 유전자들이 증가가 관여하는 것으로 보인다., 10, 11), 내측전완피신경(TE5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), 후상완피신경(TE12, 13), 상외측상완피신경(TE13), 외측쇄골상신경(TE14, 15),대이개신경(TE16, 17, 18, 19), 소후두신경(TE19, 20), 이개측두신경(TE20, 21, 22), 안면신경측두지(TE22, 23), 관골측두신경(TE23), 중층에 견갑상신경(TE15), 견갑배신경(TE15), 경상설골근신경(TE17), 후이개신경(TE18, 19, 20), 안면신경측두지(TE20, 21, 22), 심층에 후골간신경(TE5, 6, 7), 요골신경심지(TE8, 9, 12, 13), 견갑상신경(TE14), 액와신경가지(TE14), 부신경(TE16), 안면신경과 부신경가지(TE17), 설인신경(TE17), 설하신경(TE17), 경신경고리(TE17), 미주신경(TE17), 안면신경 (TE18). 3) 혈(血) 관(管) : 천층에 척측정맥배측지(TE1, 2), 고유수장지동맥배측지(TE1), 배측중수골동맥배측지(TE2), 배측중수골정맥(TE3), 척측피정맥(TE4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11), 배측정맥궁(TE4), 부요측피정맥(TE6, 8, 9),요측피정맥(TE10, 11), 후견봉정맥가지(TE13, 14), 후이개동 ${\cdot}$ 정맥(TE16, 17, 18, 19, 20), 전이개동 ${\cdot}$ 정맥(TE20), 천측두동 ${\cdot}$ 정맥(TE22, 23), 중층에 후상완회선동맥(TE14), 견갑배동맥(TE15), 견갑상동맥(TE15),천측두동 ${\cdot}$ 정맥(TE21), 관골측두동 ${\cdot}$ 정맥(TE23), 심층에 배측중수골동맥(TE3), 배측수근동맥궁(TE4), 후골간동맥(TE4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), 전골간동맥(TE6, 7, 9)

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.456-464
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• 2000

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at acupoints suggested by oriental medicine to be related to the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. Materials and Methods: Rest/acupuncture-stimulation Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT using a same-dose subtraction method was performed on 54 normal volunteers (34 males, 20 females, age range from 18 to 62 years) using six paradigms: acupuncture at acupoints GV. 20, GV. 26, LI. 4, ST. 36 and SP. 6. In the control study, needle location was chosen on a non-meridian focus 1 cm posterior to the right fibular head. All images were spatially normalized, and the differences between rest and acupuncture stimulation were statistically analyzed using SPM$^{(R)}$ for Windows$^{(R)}$. Results: Acupuncture applied at acupoint GV. 20 increased rCBF in both the anterior frontal lobes, the right frontotemporal lobes, and the left anterior temporal lobe and the left cerebellar hemisphere. Acupuncture at GV 26 increased rCBF in the left prefrontal cortex. Acupuncture at LI. 4 increased rCBF in the left prefrontal and both the inferior frontal lobes, and the left anterior temporal lobe and the left cerebellar hemisphere. Acupuncture at ST. 36 increased rCBF in the left anterior temporal lobe, the right inferior frontal lobes, and the left cerebellum. Acupuncture at SP. 6 increased rCBF in the left inferior frontal and anterior temporal lobes. In the control stimulation, no significant rCBF increase was observed. Conclusion: The results demonstrated a correlation between stimulation at each acupoint with increase in rCBF to the corresponding brain areas.