• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.25-39
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was designed to find out the differences of the acupuncture sensation by type of pharmacopuncture. And furthermore we try to find out whether normal saline(NS) is able to be constituted as an appropriate control group for the Calculus Bovis Fel Ursi Moschus(BUM) pharmacopuncture, mountain ginseng pharmacopuncture and sciatica no. 5 pharmacopuncture. Methods : NS and three type of pharmacopunctures were inserted into $ST_{36}$, and $ST_{37}$ of the subjects. Before and after the treatment, subjects completed a questionnaire rating the intensity of 13 kinds of acupuncture sensation(acupuncture sensation scale, ASS). We compared the subjective acupuncture sensation between the NS and three type of pharmacopunctures. Results : BUM pharmacopuncture showed significantly intense acupuncture sensation comparing other two pharmacopunctures and NS. There was no statistically significant difference among mountain ginseng pharmacopuncture, sciatica no. 5 pharmacopuncture and NS. Conclusions : We found that NS may be able to be an placebo pharmacopuncture for mountain ginseng pharmacopuncture and sciatica no. 5 pharmacopuncture. Additional study is needed for placebo pharmacopuncture of BUM pharmacopuncture.

• 대한한의진단학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.1-8
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• 2019

Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a difference in acupuncture sensation depending on the bee venom pharmacopunctures. The study was designed to identify the intrinsic acupuncture sensation of the bee venom pharmacopunctures compared to saline. Methods Bee venom,(BV), Sweet bee venom(SBV), and normal saline were injected in order to the left of ST36 (Joksamni), ST37 (Sang-geoheo), right ST36 (Joksamni), ST37 (Sanggeoheo) each. The order of insertion of the BV, SBV, and normal saline was randomly assigned using a computerized random number table. The questionnaire used in this study was based on the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (MASS). Results : BV and SBV was statistically significantly higher than saline in soreness, aching, distention, sharp pain and itchiness. Above this, BV was statistically significantly higher than saline in tingling and throbbing. And SBV was statistically significantly higher than saline in warmth. BV was statistically significantly higher than SBV in ichiness. Conclusion. BV and SBV were mainly strong, heavy, and gave a sharp feeling to the subjects. The results of the study can be used as references for future bee venom pharmacopunctures use. In addition, the results of the study can be used as basic data for clinical trials using bee venom pharmacopunctures.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.67-71
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• 2005

Objectives : This study was conducted to observe the tip of needles which induce poor needle sensation upon injection of herbal acupuncture. Methods : Among the syringes used for herbal acupuncture, needles which cause poor sensation were collected and evaluated by SEM (scanning electron microscope) for changes in structure, existence of impure matters, physical damage, and etc. Results : 1. Various forms contributed to poor needle sensation. Bent needle body, damaged or crooked needle tip, and blunted tip 2. Poor needles could be made during the manufacturing process, during insertion of the needle into the vial(except for the lubricants), and repeated procedures with one needle at different regions. Conclusion : Poor needles induce unnecessary pain and discomfort not only to the patients but also to administrators during injection. Herbal acupuncture is a treatment technique injecting herbal extract on the meridian points, and strict quality check must be enforced to prevent occurrence of poor needles.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.290-299
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• 2012

Objectives : 'Obtaining qi(deqi)' is a sensation experienced by a patient or an acupuncturist during acupuncture treatment, and it is considered to be an important factor in acupuncture treatment. However, previous studies reported conflicting results about the relationship between 'obtaining qi(deqi)' sensation and the effect of acupuncture treatment. Also, most of the previous studies investigating 'obtaining qi(deqi)' and the acupuncture effect, dealt with the analgesic effect of acupuncture. The objective of this study was to analyze the relation between the 'obtaining qi(deqi)' and the anti-itching effect of acupuncture treatment. Methods : Twenty one healthy subjects participated in this study. At the first visit, itch was induced to all subjects using intradermal injection of histamine on the lower arm. At the second visit, acupuncture treatment was applied using LI11 and 'obtaining qi(deqi)' was assessed. After acupuncture treatment, itch was induced again, and itch VAS and skin flare were assessed. Results: At the 6,8,10 minutes after histamine injection, the change of itch VAS between before and after acupuncture treatment was significant. Among 'obtaining qi(deqi)', subjects reported that 'dull ache', 'pricking', 'heavy' were most strong. Total score of 'obtaining qi(deqi)' sensation was not related to the change of itch VAS or skin flare. The 'electric shock' sensation is related to the change of itch VAS, and 'bruised' and 'heavy' sensations were related to the change of skin flare. Conclusions : Total 'obtaining qi(deqi)' is not related to the anti-itching effect of acupuncture, but several sensations showed relationship with the effect of acupuncture on itch severity and skin flare. Further researches based on various symptoms or acupuncture points, are needed.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.149-158
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• 2018

Objectives : In this study, we quantitatively evaluated the needle forces using needle insertion-measurement system and compared the needle sensation of each acupuncture practical model. Methods : After inserting acupuncture with a sensor to six models, a lifting-thrusting motion was implemented using the needle insertion-measurement system. The needle force was measured repeatedly, and the measurement was analyzed based on the modified Karnopp friction model for a comparison of friction coefficients. After the insertion, practitioners did lifting-thrusting manipulations. They quantified the similarity of needle sensation with VAS (Visual Analogue Scale). Results : When friction force and coefficients of friction in five different models were compared with a porcine shank model, all five models were significantly different from a porcine shank model, cotton and apple showing the closest frictional values to that of a porcine shank model. In the Cp and Cn values of cotton and in the Cp values of IM injection pad, there was no statistically significant difference. The similarity of the needle sensation between the porcine shank and five models was the highest in the apple, and overlapping papers was the lowest. Conclusions : This study quantitatively compared the physical forces in the practical model when implementing lifting-thrusting manipulations, using a needle insertion-measurement system. We suggest that a reproducible exercise model that reflects the characteristics of various human tissues, such as viscoelasticity or strength, needs to be further developed. This will contribute to establishing standardized acupuncture practice training.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.127-135
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical effect of Hwangryunhaedok-tang Herbal-Acupuncture. Hwangryunhaedok-tang is used in all heating diseases. Chest Heating Sensation is a unique concept in Oriental Medicine. So we applied Hwangryunhaedok-tang Herbal-Acupuncture to treat the Chest Heating Sensation. We used DITI(Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging) to estimate the temperatures of chest surface for the outcome assessment. We came to know that the chest surface temperatures were all reduced in both cases after Herbal-Acupuncture treatment. The reduced average temperature was $1.5^{\circ}C$ in case 1 and $0.9^{\circ}C$ in case 2. The above result indicates that Hwungryunhaedok-tang Herbal-Acupuncture treatment has an effect on Chest Heating Sensation, thus continuous Hwangryunhaedok-tang Herbal-Acupuncture study will be needed for more clinical applications.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.229-236
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the clinical effect of Korean medical treatment on a spinal cord tumor. Methods : We treated a patient who was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor. We used acupuncture, bee venom pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion and physical therapy; the patient was evaluated using the visual analogue scale(VAS) and given an International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury(ISNCSCI) score. Results : VAS decreased and ISNCSCI score increased meaningfully. Conclusions : According to these results, this report possibly suggests that Korean medical treatment could be a helpful choice for treating a spinal cord tumor.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.175-185
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• 2008

Objective : Acupuncture (from the Latin acus, "needle," and pungere, "to prick") is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine needles at specific points on the body. As a placebo acupuncture needle device was developed based on the visual impact of needling, it has been raised that it is useful only when acupuncture points and needling are visible to subjects. To examine the visual factor of the placebo acupuncture, the present study was aimed to compare the blinding index of the verum and placebo acupuncture between masked and unmasked situation. Methods : Thirty-six patients were randomly alloted to be stimulated with a verum or placebo acupuncture in a cross-over design. They were asked to guess a right answer whether they were stimulated with the verum or placebo acupuncture at LI4 in an unmasked or masked situation. The penetrating, pain, and deqi sensations were also measured after the stimulation using modified visual analogue scale. Results : The correct answer rate of the placebo acupuncture was 22.2% and 16.7% in an unmasked and masked situation, respectively (P>0.767). The blinding index of the placebo acupuncture was -0.56 (95%CI -0.84 to -0.27) and -0.67 (95%CI -0.91 to -0.42) in an unmasked and masked situation, respectively. The penetrating and deqi sensation of the verum acupuncture were significantly higher than those of the placebo acupuncture in both unmasked and masked situation. The pain sensation of the verum acupuncture was significantly higher than that of the placebo acupuncture in masked situation, but not in unmasked situation. Conclusion : Blinding of the placebo acupuncture was successful both in the unmasked and masked situation. These finding indicate that visual factor might not play a critical role in blinding of the placebo needle. We suggest that placebo needle would be also useful in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan even when the subject could not see the placebo needle.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제39권1호
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• pp.10-16
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• 2022

This study aimed to analyze the status of adverse events (AEs) in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions/diseases using thread embedding acupuncture (TEA). Five electronic databases were searched to retrieve data on clinical studies published in the last 5 years (2016 to 2021). Of the 151 studies retrieved, 22 studies analyzed AEs and were selected for this review. There were no AEs reported in 6 studies (27.3%); of the remaining 16 studies, 4 studies (18.2%) reported AEs that were not related to TEA. The most common AEs reported in the Chinese studies were redness of skin with/without swelling and tingling sensation, and in the Korean studies they were stiffness, a foreign body sensation, and bruising. The percentage of patients with AE experience was 5.1% in the Chinese studies and 19.9% in the Korean studies. The discrepancies between the findings in the Chinese and Korean studies may be attribute to differences in the diameter of needles, thread materials, TEA treatment procedure, and evaluation methods for AEs. Most of the reported AEs were of a mild status and did not last for a long time. However, further research on the clinical course after TEA treatment is needed.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.37-41
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• 2020

Objectives: Round Acupuncture having blunt end has developed from acupotomy. This case report is to find out that Round Acupuncture is effective in treating patients with recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which has not improved by steroid injection or acupotomy. Methods: Round Acupuncture was inserted into the distal fibers of transverse carpal ligament and released toward the proximal fibers. Treatment was performed three times in total. T ingling, numbn ess, night pain and swelling sensation were assessed, and provocative maneuvers were also used. Results: After treat ment, all symptoms completely disappeared and the patient had no recurrence until 3 months after treatment. Conclusion: Round Acupuncture co uld be an effective treatment for recurrent CTS.