• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.111-117
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• 2011

Objectives : This study aimed to report observed effectiveness and safety of Taegeuk acupuncture for patients in sub-health status. Methods : We analyzed clinical medical records of 36 outpatients who have visited the Pusan national university Korean medicine hospital between March and June, 2010. Patients received 6 sessions of Taegeuk acupuncture according to their constitutional types. Hepatic dullness sound and symptom reduction were used for the evaluation of clinical effectiveness of Taegeuk acupuncture. One traditional Korean medicine doctor performed all treatment procedures and assessments. Patients were allowed to continue their previous medication during acupuncture treatment. However, no additional traditional Korean medicinal interventions except the acupuncture were conducted during the whole treatment period. Results : After 6 sessions of Taegeuk acupuncture, mean hepatic dullness sound scores (0~100) were reduced from $97.3{\pm}9.0$ to $24.3{\pm}23.7$ with statistical significance (n=36, p<0.001). Mean symptom reduction scores (0~100) were changed from 0 to $53.3{\pm}29.6$ with statistical significance (n=24, p<0.001). 24 patients reported 44 cases of additional improvements of perceived health condition during or after the treatment course. No serious adverse events related to the Taegeuk acupuncture treatment were observed. Conclusions : Taegeuk acupunture may be a feasible, effective and safe treatment intervention for patients with chronic symptoms. Further well-designed studies are needed to confirm those observed improvements and evaluate benefits of Taegeuk acupuncture.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.47-64
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study was to figure out the effect and safety of electro-acupuncture and acupuncture on cold hypersensitivity on hands and feet(CHHF) by Sasang constitution. Methods 72 subjects were recruited from three Korean medical hospitals from October 2019 to October 2020. Subjects were randomly allocated in 1:1:1 ratio to electro-acupuncture group(EA group), acupuncture group(AC group), and control group. The EA and AC group received treatment twice a week for 5 weeks. We tried to confirm the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture and acupuncture treatment by checking changes in Visual analogue score(VAS), body temperature of LU4, PC8, ST32, LR3, and WHOQOL-BREF score. Results The VAS score of CHHF was reduced after treatment, and the effect continued for 4 weeks after the end of treatment in all Sasang constitution, all treatment groups. In all Sasang constitution, the body temperature of the electro-acupuncture group or acupuncture grouop was higher than that of the control group except LU4 in visit 11. And no clinically significant adverse events have been identified. Conclusions Electro-acupuncture and acupuncture treatment are effective on hypersensitivity on hands on feet, and the effect was shown regardless of Sasang constitution.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.14-24
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• 2017

Objectives The study was conducted to evaluate the recent treatment and study trends of tic disorder by reviewing domestic and international randomized controlled studies. Methods The acupuncture treatment on tic disorder randomized control study articles (published by June 10th, 2016) were selected from seven academic literature archives; NDSL, OASIS, KTKP, Pubmed, J-STAGE, CNKI, and CINAHL. Results Ten articles were identified after searching. These studies were analyzed by year, diagnostic criteria, intervention, evaluation criteria, treatment points, treatment effect, treatment duration, and 'Risk of Bias' assessment. Conclusions According to the articles, acupuncture was effective in treating tic disorder. However, additional well-designed randomized controlled studies will be required to justify the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on tic disorder.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.25-33
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference of treatment effect between Oriental Medical Treatment and Oriental-Western Combination Treatment on Herniated Lumbar Disc. Methods : From 1st November, 2008 to 31th August, 2009, 18 Herniated Lumbar Disc patients who admitted the Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, college of Oriental medicine, Dae-gu Hanny University were divided into two groups. Group A was treated with oriental medical theraphy (Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Herb, Cupping, Physical theraphy) and Group B with both oriental medical theraphy and western medical theraphy(Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Herb, Cupping, Physical theraphy, Intramuscular injection of Dexamethasone and Dicknol 2ml). We evaluated the treatment effect of each group with the Visual Analog Scale(VAS) and Pain Rating Scale(PRS), deviding two period(From first day to fourth day after Admission and From first day to ninth day after Admission). Results : Improvement Degree of Group A and Group B was significantly improvement (p<0.05) according to the VAS & PRS. Group B showed better performance compared with Group A. Conclusions : These results proved that combination treatment of oriental and western medicine was more effective than just oriental medical treatment of Herniated Lumbar Disc. And the difference between the two groups were significant according to PRS.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.169-184
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• 2016

Objectives: To investigate the neurophysiological effect of acupuncture treatment on insomnia patients using quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) and standardized Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography method (sLORETA).Background: Insomnia is one of the commonly encountered symptoms in primary medical care. Recent studies of acupuncture for insomnia reported that the acupuncture groups showed significant improvements compared with the control groups. However, the neurophysiological mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia has not been revealed and a few studies have measured the effect of acupuncture treatment using QEEG.Methods: Participants who had some problems in initiating or maintaining sleep, or had non-restorative sleep for more than 3 days a week and ISI scores above 8 and below 21 were treated by acupuncture for 2 weeks (3 times a week, total 6 times). We assessed the effectiveness of acupuncture for insomnia by the PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) at baseline and at 2 weeks after the end of treatment (4th week). Also, we performed EEG and analysed the EEG data at baseline and at the end of treatment (2nd week) on the linked ears montage using the Neuroguide software program and sLORETA.Results: Thirty-two participants were enrolled and 2 participants dropped out because of personal reasons. Among the 30 participants, EEGs of 12 participants were included in the analysis of QEEG and sLORETA. Total score on the ISI and PSQI was significantly decreased after acupuncture treatment. The number of electrodes exceeding the range of 90% (±1.65) or 95% (±1.96) in the z scored absolute power of beta was significantly decreased after acupuncture treatment. There was no significant change in brain activation between pre- and post-acupuncture using sLORETA.Conclusions: The deviation of absolute power compared to the normative database was significantly decreased after acupuncture treatment in the alpha and beta ranges. Therefore, we suggest that acupuncture treatment for insomnia might be effective through the central nervous system especially in the brain. There are many limitations to drawing any conclusion. Further studies are needed in the future to overcome these limitations.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.121-132
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• 2009

Objectives : To evaluate the current status of East-West combination treatment in joint disorders. Methods : The medical records of patients who visited the Joints & Rheumatism Center at the Kyung Hee East-West Neo Medical Center from April 2006 to June 2009 were evaluated. The general characteristics of patients who underwent combination treatment, trend in number of cross-system referrals, and disorders and involved body regions of patients referred to the Eastern medical hospital from the Western medical hospital were initially assessed. 6 major disorders were found from the initial scanning. The trend in number of cross-hospital referrals, number of visits to the Eastern medical hospital, current status of combination treatment, treatment modality, and reason for cross-system referral was evaluated. Results : 1. 1510 patients were referred from the Eastern medical hospital to the Western medical hospital, and 1065 patients were referred from the Western medical hospital to the Eastern medical hospital. First visit patients reached a peak at the second quarter of 2007 and fourth quarter of 2006 respectively, and have steadily decreased from then on. Referrals of female patients were twice as common as male patient referrals. Patients in their sixth or seventh decade of life were most commonly referred, and more outpatients were referred compared to inpatients. 2. Patients with knee joint disorders were most commonly referred from the Western medical hospital to the Eastern medical hospital, followed by hip, shoulder, ankle, wrist, and elbow joint disorders. The most common disorders for each of the above regions in referred patients were knee osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis of the hip, adhesive capsulitis, and ankle strain and sprain. The generalized disorders rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis followed. 3. Patients referred to the Eastern hospital received approximately 3 to 10 Eastern medical treatment sessions. 45 percent remained on constant combination treatment, and 98 percent of referred patients received acupuncture treatment. Conclusions : In regard to the number of patients and duration of combination treatment, combination treatment was successfully performed for knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, while it was not so for avascular necrosis of the hip, adhesive capsulitis, and ankle strain and sprain. Further research on this subject is required.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.18 no.4
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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.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.151-163
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• 2007

Objectives : Juglandis Semen herbal acupuncture solution(JSS) has a broad array of clinical applications in oriental medicine, including treatment of chronic musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis. This study was performed to investigate the global gene expression profiles using microarray assay in RAW 264.7 cell line treated with JSS and to advance our understanding of the pharmacologic effect of JSS. Methods : Change of the gene expression profile in RAW cell line following treatment with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) alone, or with LPS plus JSS was investigated with a cut-off level of 2 fold change in the expression. Especially, Change of the gene expression by treatment with LPS alone was compared with that by treatment with LPS plus JSS with a cut-off level of 1/2 fold change in the expression. Results: Of the 8170 genes profiled in this study, 51 were upragulated and 21 downregulated following LPS treatment, and 88 were upregulated and 69 downregulated following costimulation of JSS and LPS. Of the 51 genes upregulated following LPS treatment, 10 were downregulated following costimulation of JSS and LPS. Of the 21 genes downregulated following LPS treatment, 3 were upregulated following costimulation of JSS and LPS. Conclusion : JSS treatment induced upregulation of some genes including IL-10 and downregulation of that including MMP13 with its possible implication in an antiinflammatory action of JSS. However, further research on expression profile changes induced by JSS treatment is expected.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.79-87
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• 2020

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture treatment for women with "primary obesity." Primary obesity is caused by an imbalance in energy intake and consumption due to abnormal eating and living habits in the absence of specific diseases causing the obesity. A literature review (up to December 2019) of randomized controlled trials (RCT) of electroacupuncture treatment for women with "primary obesity" was performed. Relevant clinical studies were retrieved from several databases, and interventions and results were analyzed. There were 6 RCT that fitted the inclusion criteria for this review. The intervention for the treatment group of the selected 6 RCT was electrical stimulation applied to acupoints. Interventions for the control groups included non-treatment, general acupuncture, and so on. Indicators for assessing treatment effects varied from study to study. Four out of 5 studies used body mass index (BMI) as an assessment tool and showed a significant decrease in BMI following electroacupuncture treatment. There were 4 studies using waist circumference as an indicator of abdominal obesity and these studies showed a significant decrease in waist circumference following electroacupuncture treatment. Electroacupuncture treatment used in primary obese women had a clinically significant effect, however, further RCT are needed.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.226-237
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• 2018

Background: This study examined the characteristics and prognosis of patients admitted to the Dunsan Korean medicine hospital for treatment of herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) or spinal stenosis with Miniscalpel needle therapy (MSN). Methods: Patients were admitted to the Dunsan Korean medicine hospital from January 01, 2016 to September 30, 2017 for the treatment of HIVD or spinal stenosis with MSN. Crossover analysis, Independent sample t test, one-way ANOVA, multiple linear regression analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. Results: Crossover analysis showed statistically significant differences in treatment methods according to gender, current pain according to the disease duration, satisfaction of MSN according to disease duration, treatment methods, and intention of re-treatment with MSN according to treatment methods. Independent t test and one-way ANOVA showed that there was a difference in current Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) according to disease duration, and difference between discharge and current NRS, and number of MSN according to disease. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age, disease duration, and number of MSN affect discharge NRS, disease duration, and number of MSN affect current NRS, and Western medical treatment after MSN, discharge NRS, and current NRS affect satisfaction of MSN. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that discharge NRS affects current pain, and gender, discharge NRS, and treatment methods affect intention of re-treatment with MSN. Conclusion: Characteristics, prognosis, satisfaction and variables affecting prognosis of MSN were statistically significant, indicating that more systematic studies are required to further examine the effects of MSN on HIVD or spinal stenosis.