• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.144-152
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• 2005

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to identify the clinical effects of acupuncture and herbal medication in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea during five or seven days before menstruation. Methods : This study was carried out to the 17 female students in kyungwon university without pelvic or other systemic disease and its history. We investigated general and menstrual characteristics through questionnaires and treated sample patients with crossover acupuncture treatment(Sojangjeonggyeok & $SP_6$) and herbal medication(Hyunburikyungtang-gagam) during five or seven days before menstruation two times. And the change of pain was measured by the method of VAS after menstration monthly two times. Results : The improvement frequency of pain after treatment according to VAS all got better after one, two months of treatment. Especially, the mean${\pm}$S.E. of VAS score after 2nd month treatment was decreased significantly compared with that of 1st month treatment(p<0.05). And Between acupuncture treatment and herbal medication groups had no significant differences on the efficacy of treatment. Conclusion : The acupuncture treatment or herbal medication during five or seven days before menstruation will be efficacious against primary dysmenorrhea.

• 한국한의학연구원논문집
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.53-61
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• 2009

Oxytocin(OT), classically known to stimulate labour and milk ejection, contributes to play an important role in a wide range of behavioral effects including drug addiction. An increasing body of evidence suggests that OT ameliorates acute and long-term effects of commonly used drugs by means of interacting with the mesolimbic dopamine system. Mesolimbic dopamine system is thought to play a major role in the reinforcing properties of drug abuse. Oxytocin receptors in the nucleus accumbens(NAc) and ventral tegmental area(VTA) have been implicated in the regulation of reinforcing effects in abused drugs. In the same way acupuncture may attenuate the reinforcing effects of abused drugs in the NAc and VTA. We have an interest in similar liaison between the substrates of acupuncture and drug addiction that may involve OT. Here, we described the possibility that acupuncture modulates the reinforcing and sensitizing properties of abused drugs in the dopaminergic system via the regulation of activities in the oxytocinergic system. The elements in this paper are summarized as follows : neuroanatomical studies of oxytocinergic innervation and distribution of oxytocin receptors; experiments related to the methamphetamine, cocaine, morphine and ethanol; experiments related to the oxytocin and acupuncture.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.61-81
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• 2004

Background and Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on the DCX, PSA-NCAM, and pCREB expression in the brain of spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR). Materials and Methods : SHR were divided into five groups: control group, acupuncture group, 2Hz electroacupuncture(EA) group and 100Hz EA group. We evaluated the changes of the DCX, PSA-NCAM, and pCREB positive cells using immunohistochemical method. In the olfactory bulb, we investigate the optical densities of the immunoactive cells. In the dentate gyrus and the piriform cortex, we count the immunoactive cells under the $100{\times}$ visual field optical microscope. Results : 1. The optical densities of DCX-positive cells in the subependymal zone were significantly decreased in all groups, compared to the control group. 2. The counts of DCX-positive cells in the dentate gyrus were significantly increased in all groups, compared to the control group. The counts of DCX-positive cells in the piriform cortex were significantly increased in the acupuncture and 100Hz EA group, compared to the control group. 3. The optical densities of PSA-NCAM-positive cells in the subependymal zone were significantly decreased in the acupuncture and 2Hz EA group, compared to the control group. 4. The counts of PSA-NCAM-positive cells in the dentate gyrus and the piriform cortex were significantly increased in all group, compared to the control group. 5. The counts of pCREB-positive cells in the dentate gyrus were significantly increased in all groups, compared to the control group. The counts of pCREB-positive cells in the piriform cortex were significantly increased in the acupuncture and 100Hz EA group, compared to the control group. Conclusion : We conclude that acupuncture and EA may affect neuronal cell proliferation, differentiation and plasticity in the brain.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.29-37
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• 2005

Objective : This study is performed for the purpose of examining into the efficacy of the Bee Venom Acupuncture Treatment for Osteoarthritis of Knee Joint. Methods : We investigated 25 cases of patients with Osteoarthritis of Knee Joint from 1st June 2005 to 13th July 2005. The 25 patients were taken Bee Venom Acupuncture over three times irregularly. Treatment efficiency was monitored through VAS (Visual Analog Scale) and improvement degree of the grade of clinical symptoms. Conclusions : We brought to the conclusion that the Bee Venom Acupuncture has possibility to be efficient to cure the Osteoarthritis of Knee Joint patients. So we suggest the possibility to use this new remedy for the Osteoarthritis of Knee Joint.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.39-47
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• 2009

Objectives : The mesolimbic dopamine system is believed to play a major role in the reinforcing effect and behavioral hyperactivity of abused drugs including methamphetamine. In the present study, the effect of acupuncture on methamphetamine-induced locomotor activity and c-Fos expression in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of rats were examined. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats received acupuncture at bilateral Yanggu($SI_5$) point for 30seconds immediately before the subcutaneous injection of saline or methamphetamine(0.5mg/kg). The total amount of locomotor activity for 90min were measured just before brain samples were taken for immunohistochemistry. Results : Results showed that acupuncture at the specific point $SI_5$, but not control point(Kunlun, $BL_{60}$) significantly reduced locomotor activity and c-Fos expression in the striatum and nucleus accumbens induced by acute administration of methamphetamine. Conclusions : These results suggest that acupuncture may be effective in suppressing the reinforcing effect of methamphetamine by regulating neuronal activity.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.179-193
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• 2007

Objectives: It has been demonstrated that acupuncture treats diseases while that the widespread use of that clinically and experimentally. It also has shown that electro-acupuncture(EA) is more effective than manual-acupuncture (MA). The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of EA and MA at combined acupoints on sex and age in rats. Methods: This study measured the effects of acupuncture treatment on small intestinal motility in rats. MA and EA(intensity, 5 times muscle twitch threshold) was applied for 30 minutes to the combined left and right sides acupoints on ST36, ST37, ST39 under enflurane anesthesia. EA and MA applied to the ST36, ST37, ST39 acupoints produced an elevation of small intestinal motility. Results: In experimental groups of combined left and right sides acupoints, only specified groups show elevation of small intestinal motility in male rats, 5 weeks age. Furthermore, combined left and right sides acupoints in EA and MA show differences effects according to the sex, male and female, and the age as 5, 6, 7, 8 weeks. Conclusion : Although these different according to the sex and age in rats do not have a established tendency, the present study suggest that effect of EA and MA are experimentally dependent upon the sex and age on small intestinal motility in rats.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.187-194
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• 2010

Objectives : There has been a need for establishing operational curriculum for chinese characters and chinese writing used by traditional Korean medicine(TKM), but it was not thoroughly recognized so far. Methods : We analysed the usage of unicode chinese characters of acupuncture & moxibustion textbook to recognize the prerequisite chinese characters for TKM studies as clinical perspectives. Results : It was found that 穴, 經, 鍼, 法, 寸, 部, 分, 刺, 下, 上, 中, 位, 氣, 陽, 灸, 脈, 陰, 治, 足, 主 are the most frequently used 20 chinese characters. We also showed that adequate prerequisite chinese character should be designated for the more efficient education of TKM. Conclusions : This study was the first systematic approach to get essential and prerequisite chinese characters for the education of TKM especially for the acupuncture & moxibustion. The prerequisite characters by this study will be used for the development of KEET (Korean Medicine Education Eligibility Test), entrance exam to the Colleges of Oriental Medicine and textbooks, and educational curriculum of premed students.

• 대한추나의학회지
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.55-64
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• 2002

Objectives : Acupuncture therapy is known as a effective method to CVA with paralysis. To make clear about effectiveness of acupuncture affecting to active and static postural adaptation for the patient with hemiparesis, we studied whether acupuncture changed ability of maintenance with one leg standing posture, and character of gait such as gait velocity, cadence, stride length, step length and base of support. Methods : This clinical study has been carried out with 10 cases of CVA patient with hemiparesis. We treated patients with acupuncture for 4 weeks, estimated each paralytic leg and well leg before 1st treatment and after last treatment, and compared the change of one leg with the other. To estimate the change of ability of static postural adaptation, we checked the time of duration with one leg standing posture. And about active postural adaptation, we used temporal distance gait analysis with Ink-Foot-Print method. Results and Conclusions : In static postural adaptation, paralytic leg significantly improved the duration with one leg posture. And In active postural adaptation with gait analysis, paralytic leg showed significant improvement in stride length and step length. Base of support and cadence were also significantly improved.

• 동의신경정신과학회지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.85-106
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• 2003

Studies have shown that both the psychomotor stimulant effects and rewarding properties of addictive drugs, including morphine, are sensitized by repeated drug administration and it is suggested that both of these effects are mediated by the same or closely overlapping dopamine systems. Specifically, the mesolimbic dopamine system has been implicated in the reinforcing and sensitizing properties of morphine. In oriental medicine, Shenmen (HT7) point on the heart channel has been used to treat mental and psychosomatic disorders. This study was designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on acute and repeated morphine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine levels using in vivo microdialysis and morphine-induced behavioral changes. In the morphine sensitization experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated twice a day for three days with increasing doses of morphine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, s.c.) or with saline. After 15 days of withdrawal, rats were challenged with morphine hydrochloride (5mg/kg, s.c.). Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shenmen (HT7) points for 1 min after the morphine challenge. In the acute experiment, rats also received acupuncture for 1 min after an injection of morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Results showed that acupuncture at the specific acupoint HT7, but not at control points (tail) significantly decreased both dopamine release and behavior induced by a systemic morphine challenge or a single sc morphine injection in the acute animals. These results suggest that reduction in sensitization may be one mechanism whereby acupuncture alleviates morphine craving in addicts.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.43-54
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate the effect of acupuncture with various scales on symptoms of Idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Methods: Subjects were voluntarily recruited through newspapers and internet advertisement. All the subjects were confirmed as idiopathic parkinson's disease by a neurologist. The acupuncture therapy was performed twice a week for 4 weeks by oriental medical doctor at Kyung-hee University hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups : sham acupuncture group, acupuncture treatment group and Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment group. Acupun cture points used in acupuncture treatment group were $GB_{34}$, $LR_3$, and $ST_{36}$, which were proven to be effective in rat Parkinson's disease study. Acupuncture points used in sham treatment were non-acupoints near $GB_{34}$, $LR_3$, and $ST_{36}$. In Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment, we classfied Sasang constitution of patients by QSCCII. Acupuncture was applied based on theory of Korean medicine. The patient's symptoms were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment by one evaluator with Unified Kingdom Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), modified Hoehn-Yahr(H-Y) stage, and Schwab & England activ ity of daily living and freezing of gait questionnaire (FOGQ). Results : The results were as follows ; 1. UPDRS IV score differences between sham group and Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment were statistically significant(p=0.001). 2. UPDRS total score differences between Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment and acupuncture treatment group, Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment and sham group were statistically significant(p=0.041, p=0.014). 5. FOGQ score differences between Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment and acupuncture treatment group, Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment and sham group were statistically significant(p=0.001, p=0.001). Conclusion : The results suggest Sasang-Constitution acupuncture treatment can be applicable to improve symptoms in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.