• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2012

Objective : The endpoint of this trial is to verify therapeutical availability of conventional western eyedrops combined with acupuncture treatment by means of BUT(tear film break-up time), Schirmer's test, which have been considered to be typical methods for diagnosing dry eye syndrome. Methods : The subjects of this trial included the outpatients who had been diagnosed with dry eye syndrome in Pusan national university hospital and underwent acupuncture treatment from March 2011 to April 2011. They received acupuncture treatment once a week, three times while constantly using Restasis or artificial tears. We collated and analyzed the outcome data of Schirmer's test and BUT conducted at the beginning of this trial and three times more after each acupuncture treatments. Acupoints, such as, Chanjuk(BL2), Eoryo, Sajukgong(TE23), Taeyang, Sabaek(ST2), limited around both eyes were selected based on their clinical effects referring to medical books. Results : 1. From BUT test results, Restasis and acupuncture combined group showed statistically significant difference, however, artificial tears and acupuncture combined group showed difference only between before and after the treatment, which is not statistically significant. 2. From Schirmer's test results, Restasis and acupuncture combined group showed statistically significant difference, however, artificial tears and acupuncture combined group showed difference only between before and after the treatment, which is not statistically significant. 3. The average duration of treatment was statistically 16.3 days for Restasis and acupuncture combined group. Conclusions : Combination of acupuncture and Restasis for dry eye syndrome can shorten the duration of treatment. Therefore, clinical benefit is expected to be worth.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.49-63
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• 2021

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the trend in treating fracture with acupuncture and to evaluate the quality of case reports. Methods All case reports of fractures treated with acupuncture were extracted from four Korean web databases. We classified these studies by five fracture sites and investigated frequently used meridian and acupoint, outcome measurements, treatment period. And we assessed the quality of the case reports by the STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines. Results A total of 33 case reports were included. The outcome measurements were divided into six categories, and the outcome measurements used in more than three studies showed improvement in patient symptoms. The mainly used meridians for each fracture site were as follows: chest and abdomen (GB, LR, CV), back (BL, GB), upper limb (LI, TE), lower Limb (GB, ST, BL, SP). The most commonly used acupoints for each fracture site were as follows: chest and abdomen (Ashi points, GB24, GB25, GB26, LR13, LR14, CV16, CV17, CV18, CV19), back (BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, BL51, BL52, BL60, GB34), upper limb (LI4, LI10, LI11, TE3), lower limb (GB34, GB40). According to the STRICTA guidelines, more than 54.54% of the reports were found to be 'not reported' or 'not sufficient' in the following categories: 'response sought', 'description of participating acupuncturist', and 'number of needle insertions per subject per session'. Conclusions The meridians and acupuncture points frequently used for acupuncture treatment of fractures were near the fracture site. Future clinical studies involving acupuncture must be reported in accordance with the STRICTA guidelines to improve transparency and uniformity.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.166-181
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• 2018

The aim of this review was to determine the status of acupuncture therapies in reducing obesity in obese patients and to determine the scheme and effectiveness of acupuncture therapies. Existing reports published between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2017 in Kiss, Riss, National Assembly Library, Pubmed and CINAHL databases were searched electronically with the keywords obesity, acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, and electroacupuncture. After checking the original sources of the articles, 19 articles were included in the review. In a qualitative evaluation of the papers using a checklist from the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network, one study scored 9 out of 10 points, 15 studies scored 7-8 out of 10 points, two studies scored 6 out of 10 points, and one study scored 3 out of 10 points. In the acupuncture therapy schemes, acupoints to reduce obesity included shemen, hunger, LI-11 (Quchi), LI-4 (Hegu), St-25 (Tianshu) and St-44 (Neiting). Acupuncture therapies were conducted for an average of 16.9 total sessions. In the studies that involved 20-day or 72-day duration for acupuncture therapies, the frequency of acupuncture therapies was 1 time/1-2 days. In the studies that involved 4- to 18-week duration for acupuncture therapies, the frequency of acupuncture therapies was 1-3 times/week. This study found acupuncture therapies were effective in reducing obesity, and acupuncture therapies reduced anthropometry, blood glucose and lipids and changed blood hormones. In the future, there is an urgent need for well-planned studies of the effectiveness of acupuncture therapies for reducing obesity in obese patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.409-424
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• 2019

Objectives: This research aimed to confirm the efficacy of oriental medicine in sixth cranial nerve palsy and to evaluate the quality of the studies. Methods: Using the medical subject heading (MeSH) keywords "abducens nerve palsy", "abducens nerve paralysis", "sixth nerve palsy", "herbal medicine", "Chinese medicine", "oriental medicine" and "acupuncture", we collected the research papers through an electronic database search in Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), National Discovery for Science Leaders (NDSL), PubMed, Cochran Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Results: A total of 136 papers were searched from the databases. Among these, 15 case reports and 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met our criteria. 17 articles were found on the use of acupuncture as the main intervention, 11 on the use of herbal medicine as the main intervention, and 9 on the use of electroacupuncture as the main intervention. The frequently used acupoints were LI4, EX-HN5, GB1, BL2, TE23, LR3, BL1, ST2, GB20, and ST36. All 23 studies confirmed the efficacy of Korean medicine. According to the assessment using the risk of bias, the overall quality of the RCTs was low. Conclusions: Twenty-three papers suggested that Korean medicine treatment for abducens nerve palsy was effective in many cases. Analyzing the potential bias was difficult.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.79-87
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• 2019

This study examined how the application of silver spike point (SSP) and acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (A-TENS) on acupoints affects blood flow and pain threshold, using laser Doppler blood fluxes and the Commander algometer. Our study included 32 healthy men and women who were randomly divided into the SSP group (n=18) and the A-TENS group (n=14). The pain threshold and blood flow were measured at the Neiguan (PC6) of the Jueyin Pericardium Meridian of the hand. SSP was performed with a 2.8cm electrode at a fixed frequency of 3 Hz for 15 minutes. The change in blood flow and pain threshold after the intervention significantly differed between the two groups (p<0.05). We found that the application of SSP and A-TENS on an acupoint altered their blood flow and pressure pain threshold, with SSP resulting in significantly greater change than A-TENS. Based on these results, the convergence of acupoint and electrical stimulation therapy can be usefully applied as a method for various patients. Continued development of convergence interventions is necessary.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.81-93
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• 2021

Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is condition of cognitive decline shown in transition from normal aging to dementia. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture (HPP) is a treatment that combines effects of medication and acupuncture by injecting Hominis placenta into acupoints. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HPP for MCI. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-center clinical trial. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to either the HPP group or the placebo group. HPP or saline as placebo was administered to participants for eight weeks. Changes in symptoms were observed. The primary outcome was difference in mean change of Korean Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) score between the HPP group and the placebo group. Cognitive function, overall status of mood and sleep, and quality of life (QoL) were also assessed. Safety assessment and economic analysis were then conducted. Results: Thirty participants were enrolled. One participant in the placebo group dropped out. The score of MoCA-K increased after treatment. Its mean change was smaller in the HPP group than in the control group. HPP ameliorated Global Deterioration Scale and Korean Dementia Rating Scale subtests for attention, organization, and memory compared to the placebo. However, none of them was significantly different between the two groups. Mood, sleep, and QoL all improved more in the HPP group than in the placebo group, although differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. There was no adverse event probably related to the drug. HPP treatment needed KRW 345,000 more than the placebo group in improving Geriatric Quality of Life scale-Dementia score by one point for one year. Conclusions: Although HPP treatment did not significantly improve cognition, it changed behavioral and psychological symptoms in MCI.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2021

Purpose: At acupoint pressure, the pressing direction of all acupoints is usually vertical. However, it is not clear whether the vertical direction is toward the belly button or the body's center in the BL52. In this study, the effective direction of acupressure was studied by measuring the pressure pain threshold according to the direction of acupressure in 30 subjects. Methods: The distance from the subject's GV4 to the left and right BL52 and the distance from GV4 to the navel were measured, and then using the ellipse where the left and right BL52 of GV4 pass through the navel, the angles of the navel direction and the body's center were calculated in the left and right BL52. The pressure at the time when the subjects felt pain while pressing the BL52 in two directions was used as the acupressure pain threshold. The pain threshold was measured 3 times at 3 minute intervals on the left and right BL52s of the subject. Results: The acupressure pain threshold measured in the left and right BL52 of the subjects was significantly decreased when pressed toward the trunk center (p < .05). In BL52, it was more sensitive to pressure when the direction of pressure is toward the body's center. Conclusions: Acupressure therapy of acupoint is more sensitive to external stimuli than the surrounding. In this study, acupressure directed toward the trunk center is more efficient than toward the belly button in BL52.

• 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.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.164-175
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• 2021

Objectives: The LI11 (Quchi) acupuncture point has always been included in the Seven acupoints for stroke; however, additional LI11 acupuncture research is needed. In this study, the effect of LI11 acupuncture on cerebral blood flow of the anterior cerebral arteries (ACA) and middle cerebral arteries (MCA) was investigated. Method: This study included 10 healthy young male subjects. Cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebrovascular reactivity were measured using transcranial Doppler sonography. Changes in hyperventilation-induced carbon dioxide (CO₂) reactivity and modified ACA and MCA blood flow velocity at 40 mmHg (CV40), blood pressure, and heart rate were observed before and after LI11 acupuncture treatment. Results: A statistically significant increase in contralateral anterior cerebral artery CO₂ reactivity (p=0.036) and decrease in contralateral middle cerebral artery CV40 (p=0.047) were observed. No significant difference in mean blood pressure was shown. A statistically significant increase in heart rate occurred after LI11 acupuncture; however, it was not clinically significant as there were negligible changes in the heart rhythm. Conclusions: LI11 acupuncture treatment could improve cerebral blood flow velocity. These results might be explained by regulating endothelium-dependent vessel dilation in the anterior cerebral artery region. Trial registration: This trial has been registered with Clinical Research Information Service, a service of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: KCT0004494 (retrospectively registered). https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/search_result_st01.jsp?seq=15359

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.153-164
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• 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Heat-sensitive Moxibustion on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Methods: We searched articles from Academic Journals(CAJ) online databases, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), Searching key words were '前列腺增生', '熱敏灸' and '열민구', '전립선비대'. The search range included randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Among the articles published to 2020, 10 articles were found. After review the title, abstract and original, 3 articles were selected finally to rule out treatment combined with completely different treatments. Result: The Heat-sensitive moxibustion at acupoints in the treatment of Benign prostatic hyperplasia were significantly superior to control group after treatment in the symptoms of patients, IPSS, QOL, PVR and Qmax(P<0.05). The Heat-sensitive moxibustion can significantly reduce the incidence of temporary urinary incontinence after Transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP) and improve life quality and satisfaction of patients(P<0.05). The individualized desensitization saturated time and amount of Heat-sensitive moxibustion is superior effective to general amount and time of traditional moxibustion in the total effective rate, IPSS, Ru and Qmax(P<0.01) for Benign prostatic hyperplasia. Conclusion: Heat sensitive moxibustion directly transfer heat to the source of a disease. So it can be considered as a good treatment for Benign prostate hypertrophy. It was also shown a better effect on BPH compared to traditional moxibustion, According to the thermo principles of tumor, if the tumor cell's death temperature of 43℃ is reached, that can cause tumor degeneration. Therefore I think Heat sensitive moxibustion can be applied to various tumor disease. The results of this study could be applied to clinical treatment of BPH. However, additional large-scale clinical researches should be conducted.