• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.377-381
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• 2023

This study included a 42-year-old female farmer with a 2-year history of Graves' disease who visited the hospital for a total thyroidectomy for her grade III goiter based on World Health Organization classification. Besides Hegu (LI4) and Neiguan (PC6), extensively used for acupuncture analgesia in thyroid surgery in previous studies, three additional acupuncture points for acupuncture analgesia in thyroidectomy were evaluated in this study: Shuitu (ST10), Quepen (ST12), and Yifeng (SJ17). In this case, we used an electroacupuncture stimulator to stimulate the acupuncture points and combined acupuncture analgesia with diazepam and atropine sulfate administration as adjunct medications to calm the patient. The operation was completed without any complications. The findings revealed that stimulating the five acupuncture points, i.e., Hegu (LI4), Neiguan (PC6), Shuitu (ST10), Quepen (ST12), and Yifeng (SJ17), for acupuncture analgesia combined with adjunct medications is safe for maintaining an adequate level of analgesia and hemodynamic stability during thyroidectomy.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 1991

In order to develop an effective methods of electroacupuncture regional analgesia for Cattle, six adult Korean-native cattle, which were healthy and had ordinary perception response, were examined on the study. Using them, there were treated with six different prescription applying on six mendian points including Samyang Rack, Keud Mun, Bu Yang, Sameum Kyo, Backhyo and Hu Hae. The results are summerized as follows. 1 In the case of the acupuncture treatment on Samyang Rack and Keuk Mun located on both fore-legs. the good effect of regional analgesia was obtained toward the anterior part of cattle; on the other hand, when treated with Bu Yang and Sameum Kyo at both hindlegs. the same result were represented toward the posterior part. 2. The level of the electronic current of each electro-acupuncture treatment for bovine regional analgesia was proved to necessitated the same amount of which had given body general electro-acupuncture analgesia. 3. Any significant changes could not find out the hematological and biochemical values of all acupuncture-treated cattle during the experiment. 4. Each elector-acupuncture prescription appeared to be considerably effective for bovine regional analgesia, and also showed the possibility on applying the standing position of cattle for various surgical treatment regardless its operation areas.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.43-58
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• 2007

Objectives : The elicit of DeQi, a composite of sensation including numbness and fullness that develops at the site of acupuncture stimulation, is considered to be clinically essential to establish treatment efficacy. However, there was little studies investigating the relationship between the subjective feeling of acupuncture sensation and acupuncture analgesia, The current study was therefore performed to determine the correlation between the acupuncture sensation scale (ASS) and the degree of acupuncture analgesia. Methods : Ninety-two female subjects were stimulated at LI4 acupoint on non-dominant hand with real (RA) or sham acupuncture (SA). Finger withdrawal latency (FWL) of each group was also measured to evaluate analgesic effect of acupuncture on the noxious heat stimuli on the dominant hand. All subjects were asked to complete seven point-Likert scale ASS developed by Vincent et al. Results : The increase rate of FWL of the RA group was significantly higher than that of the SA group(36.03 ${\pm}$ 4.45% vs 24.50 ${\pm}$ 3.73%). RA stimulation produced significantly higher rating of all the ASS except for dull sensation, compared to SA stimulation. Significant correlations between analgesic effect of RA, but not of SA, and the degree of the ASS, including burning sensation(r=0.349), Intense sensation(r=0.299), pulsating sensation (r=0.335), and stinging sensation (r=0.306) were found. Conclusions : The results of our study indicate that the DeQi sensation are associated with acupuncture analgesia. Our findings suggest that the evocation of DeQi might be useful clinical indicator of acupuncture treatment.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.217-225
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• 1989

In order to develop the effective methods of electroacupuncture anesthesia to bovine species. eight animals of Korean native cow, which are healthy and have ordinary perception response. were examined to study on the acupuncture prescription. In the present study, six kinds of acupuncture prescription methods were applied with four kinds of meridian points which consist of Sam Yang Rack, Keuk Moon, Boo Yang and Sam Eum Kyo. The results are summarized as follows. 1. All kinds of methods applied here were simple in needling technique but considerably effective on analgesia. It was also confirmed that the methods could be applied to the all clinical signs, because these were not depended to vary on the position of operation area and the body restrain. 2. The results, which were obtained by applying to all meridian points at both legs selected by diagonal lines(e. g., right foreleg and left hind leg, and vice versa) and to all meridian points at the all legs, were revealed the same analgesia effect. However, the result applied to meridian points at one side of body did not show the good effect for analgesia. 3. When the acupuncture prescription was applied to Sam Yang Rack and Keuk Moon at both forelegs, and Boo Yang and Sam Eum Kyo at both hind-legs, the good effects of regional analgesia appeared at the anterior body and both forelegs, and the posterior body and both hind-legs, respectivery. 4. There was no sognificant difference in changing biochemical pictures of blood and serum during the experiment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.57-71
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• 2004

Objective : Physiological evidence regarding acupuncture's effect in human patients is not yet well established, despite considerable evidence for its therapeutic efficacy. Besides target or disease specificity of acupuncture, acupuncture analgesia (AA) appears to be another large subclass that poses many questions, such as whether there is point specificity with respect to which acupoint is most effective for a particular condition. Methods : We observed brain activation with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using a set of stimuli that consist of pain, pain following Meridian acupuncture, and pain following Sham acupuncture. Results : Among the new observations, the most interesting fact is that data sets of both Meridian acupuncture and Sham acupuncture show decreased activation of the same brain areas related to the pain processing signals. Present functional MRI study demonstrate two important biological observations that could elucidate AA mechanism in human participants: the effects of acupuncture occur through mediation of the higher brain areas. Sham acupuncture stimulation appears to be almost as effective as traditional Meridian acupoint stimulation, suggesting that acupuncture is not entirely point specific. Decreased activation in the limbic paleo cortical areas appears to be the probable neurological manifestation of AA and strongly implies that acupuncture stimulation inhibits the transmission of ascending pain signals to the higher cortical areas by the previously known descending pain inhibitory circuit. Conclusion : We, therefore, a hypothesized that this pain inhibitory circuit is initiated and mediated via the broad sense Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal (BS HPA) axis in conjunction to the "sensory stimulation."

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.138-151
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• 2003

Although the use of acupuncture for pain has increased in recent years, the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia (AA) remains obscure. The lack of suitable experimental animal models for persistent pain, which show clear AA, has been the major stumbling block in the investigation of the physiological mechanisms of AA. In the present study, we test AA in two knee arthritis model induced by injection of CFA or carrageenan as a chronic pain model. After induction of arthritis, the rat subsequently showed a reduced stepping force of the affected limb for the next several days. Electroacupuncture (EA) was applied to an acupuncture point each on the contralateral forelimb for 30 minutes under enflurane anesthesia. After the termination of EA, behavioral tests measuring stepping force were periodically conducted during the next several hours. EA produced a significant improvement of stepping force of the foot lasting for at least 2 hours when applied to LR2 In CFA model, and applied to ST36 in carrageenan model, but both points did not produce any significant effects in each other model. These data suggest that EA produce analgesic effect in knee arthritic pain and the analgesic effect is specific to the acupuncture point.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.67-77
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• 2004

Objectives : Many studies have reported that acupuncture analgesia was mediated through the activation of peripheral and central opioid receptors. However, there has been little electrophysiological study on the adrenergic mechanism of acupuncture analgesia in chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the role of adrenoceptors in the production of acupuncture analgesia in the chronic pain model. Methods : In the rat with chronic inflammation and nerve injury, dorsal horn cell (DHC) responses to afferent C fiber stimulation were used as a pain index and changes in electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia were recorded before and after intravenous administration of selective adrenoceptor antagonists. EA stimulations (2Hz, 0.5msec, 3mA) were applied to the contralateral Zusanli point for 30 min. Results : EA stimulation induced long-lasting inhibition of DHC responses in the rat with chronic inflammation and nerve injury. In both models of inflammation and neuropathic pain, α-adrenoceptor antagonist (phentolamine) significantly attenuated an inhibitory effect of EA on DHC responses. Selective α2-adrenoceptor antagonist (yohimbine) also had a similar suppressive action on DHC responses to that of phentolamine. However, β-adrenoceptor antagonist (propranolol) did not have any inhibitory effect on DHC responses in either model of chronic pain. Conclusions : These experimental findings suggest that in rats with chronic pain, EA stimulation with low frequency and high intensity produced an analgesic effect which was mediated through an activation of α2-adrenoceptors.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2006

Objectives: Pharmacopuncture which is a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine helps to prevent and treat the diseases and symptoms including various pains. However, little was known about the therapeutic effects and its mechanisms on acute pain, although pharmacopuncture has been used frequently in acupuncture clinics. Acupuncture is known for producing analgesia for persistent ankle sprain pain in human. Furthermore, it also produces analgesia in a rat model of ankle sprain pain. Methods: To illuminate the underlying mechanisms of capsaicin pharmacopuncture-induced analgesia, weight bearing force (WBF) was observed on the acute ankle sprained rat model. Ankle sprain was induced in the rat by manually hyper-extending ligaments of the right ankle. Capsaicin pharmacopuncture was applied to SI6 (Yanglo) on the left forelimb (contralateral to the sprained ankle). Results: In behavioral test, capsaicin pharmacopuncture produced marked analgesic effects on acute ankle sprained animals as measured by WBF of the affected limb similar to manual acupuncture. Capsaicin pharmacopuncture was also suppressed by serotonin (5-HT) receptor antagonist methysergide (2 mg/kg, Lp.), but not by opioids receptor antagonist naltrexone (10 mg/kg, Lp.) and alpha adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (5 mg/kg, Lp.). Conclusion: The data suggest that capsaicin pharmacopuncture-induced analgesia is accomplished by activating the descending serotonergic inhibitory systems.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.143-153
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• 1999

Background: The vasoreactivity of cerebral artery is currently the subject of increasing interest Transcranial Doppler The purpose of this study was to investigate the analgesic effect of acupuncture in a model of neuropathic pain produced by segmental spinal nerve injury (SSI) in rats. The left L5 and L6 spinal nerves of Sprague-Dawley rats were tightly ligated, and one week later, manual or electro-acupuncture was applied for 30 minutes to the contralateral hindlimb (right side) while the animal was lightly anesthetized with halothane. The mechanical threshold of the paw for ipsilateral (left side) hind limb flinching was determined prior to and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 24 hours after termination of acupuncture. The mechanical threshold for flinching was significantly elevated for about 4 hours after manual acupuncture applied to the BL. 60 (Kunlun) point or electro-acupuncture to the BL. 60 and BL. 40 (Weizhong) points. However, manual acupuncture applied to the ST. 36 (Zusanli) point was not effective. Furthermore, systemic naloxone pretreatment had no effect on the acupuncture induced threshold elevation. These data suggests that acupuncture produces a point specific, naloxone independent analgesia in a rat neuropathic pain model. ※ This paper is supported by a grant from the '1996 Jusan Foundation of Wonkwang university.)

• Journal of the korean veterinary medical association
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.355-367
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• 1985

Analgesic effect varies according to the Acupuncture points and Acupuncture prescriptions. In dogs, these variations of analgesia by Electroacupuncture are not examined, and problems arise in appling the Acupuncture Clinically and experimentally. In the p