• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.145-154
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• 2006

Objectives : To research the recent trends of study related to pain modulation of acupuncture. Methods : We searched the resent study related to pain modulation of acupuncture. Results & Conclusion : 1) Early studies demonstrated that the analgesic effects of acupuncture are mediated by opioid peptides in the periaqueductal gray. Recent evidences show that nitric oxide plays an important role in mediating the cardiovascular responses to acupuncture stimulation through gracile nucleus-thalamic pathway. 2) Recent evidences show that acupuncture stimulate gene expression related to pain. 3) By using functional magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography, recent study suggest that acupuncture has regionally specific, quantifiable effects on pain-relevant brain structures.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.191-195
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• 2008

Objectives : To estimate clinical effect of acupuncture treatment for astigmatism and visual impairment. Methods : Acupuncture treatment was performed on a young child, diagnosed as astigmatism and visual impairment from 23th May 2008 through 23th July 2008. Visual acuity and astigmatism were measured before and after treatment. Results : Visual acuity and astigmatism were improved after acupuncture treatment. Conclusions : This case demonstrates that acupuncture treatment has clinical possibilities for improving astigmatism and visual impairment and future studies will be required.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.17-24
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• 2013

Objectives : To broaden understanding about meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture on headache and to evaluate the effect of meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture on headache. Methods and Results : From Feb. 2012 to Jan. 2013, the 64 patients were outpatients for treatment of headache in Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, Traditional Korean Medical Hospital, Semyung University and treated with meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture. To evaluate the effect of meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture, we devide 3groups(21 occipital-headache patients, 27 temporal-headache patients, 16 frontal-headache patients) upon pain area and search pain intensity(VAS were used), different frequency, duration time. As a result, headache are improved remarkably within two weeks. Conclusions : Meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture was found to be helpful to patients who wish to recover from headache. In order to make this meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture more available, we should pay more attention to improving treatment appliance and acupuncture techniwue.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.11-18
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• 2009

Objectives : The objective of this review was to evaluate clinical trials of warming acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain diseases, to assess the methodologic quality of the trials and determine whether low-quality trials are associated with positive outcomes, to document adverse effects and to identify the effectiveness of the warming acupuncture. Methods : Seven databases and the Journal ZHONGGUO ZHENJIU(中國鍼灸) published between 2004－2008 were searched. Korean and Chinese randomized trials were evaluated for methodologic quality using the modified Jadad scale. Outcome measurements were pain, function and global improvement. The best-evidence synthesis was performed to determine the strength of evidence by control group. Results : Six clinical trials representing 564 patients with musculoskeletal pain diseases were identified. For pain and function, there was moderate evidence that warming acupuncture is more effective than manual acupuncture. For patient global assesment, there was limited evidence that warming acupuncture is more effective than manual acupuncture. However, for function, there was inconclusive evidence that warming acupuncture is more effective than acupuncture with TDP or western medicine or acupoint-injection treatment. Conclusions : The evidence suggests that warming acupuncture is more effective for musculoskeletal pain diseases than manual acupuncture, acupuncture with TDP, western medicine and acupoint-injection treatment. But the evidence is moderate to inclusive due to the low methodologic quality of the trials. Further clinical trials with high methodologic quality is required to investigate the effectiveness of warming acupuncture.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.25-38
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• 2012

Objective : This study was conducted to underpin the theory of Taegeuk Acupuncture systematically and increase the utility of clinical trial and a range of application. Method : This study analysed ByungHaeng Lee's theory, who is the originator of Taegeuk Acupuncture, by focusing on "Young Chu GuChimSibYiWon" Result & Conclusion : 1. ByungHaeng Lee's thought about Viscera and Bowels is following medicine of Internal Classic. Even though JeMa Lee's thought about Viscera and Bowels has same name with ByungHaeng Lee's, but the functional meaning and related part is totally different. So, four constitution types in Taegeuk Acupuncture are different from four constitution types in Four-Constitution Medicine. Therefore, Taegeuk Acupuncture isn't related with Four-Constitution Medicine 2. On the authority of "Young Chu GuChimSibYiWon", we can extend 4 therapeutic acupuncture point combinations of Taegeuk Acupuncture to ten therapeutic acupuncture point combinations which tentatively named 'Five Viscera Source Point Acupuncture'. 3. To consider an example of eight constitutional acupuncture, Taegeuk Acupuncture thoroughly says constitutional acupuncture. Especially, JaeGyuKim's Taegeuk Acupuncture has specific diagnosis standard that after treating a patient with acupuncture, he checks an oppressive pain at the precordial region and a voiced sound at liver and then he makes sure constitution of patient. So we can consider JaeGyuKim's Taegeuk Acupuncture as constitutional acupuncture. However, it has to change the name of four constitution types to taegeuk greater yang person, taegeuk lesser yang person, taegeuk greater yin person, taegeuk lesser yin person so as to avoid confusion. 4. Taegeuk Acupuncture is markedly simple in comparison with other acupuncture, so it needs to extend the utility of clinics by enlarging treatment acupuncture points.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.159-167
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• 2004

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of auricular acupuncture therapy by using different techniques combined with common acupuncture treatment on lumbago patients. Methods: 30 patients with lumbago who were hospitalized in Semyung Univ. Oriental Medical Hospital were devided into three groups. Group A of 10 patients were treated by common acupuncture treatment and auricular acupuncture therapy by methods of burying needles. Group B of 10 patients were treatedd by common acupuncture treatment and auricular acupuncture therapy by methods of pricking needles. Group C of 10 patients were treated only by common acupuncture treatment. The pain scale and improvement index of these three groups were evaluated after 10 days of admission. Results: 1. On the score of pain scale, group A and B were both superior to group C, but had no specific difference(p=0.15). 2. On the score of improvement index, group B was superior to group A, and group A was superior to group C(p=0.04). Conclusions: The combination of auricular acupuncture therapy and common acupuncture treatment was more effective than only to use common acupuncture treatment to lumbago patients. Especially, using the auricular acupuncture therapy by pricking methods, was the most effective methods in increasing improvement index.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.11-19
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• 2014

Objectives : Acupuncture manipulation, a kind of sophisticated hand movements, has been considered a fundamental skill for acupuncture practice. In this study, we aimed to develop acupuncture manipulation education system(AMES) using visual feedback of acupuncture manipulation. We also investigated whether or not acupuncture practice-$na{\ddot{i}}ve$ students could enhance their acupuncture manipulation skills after AMES training. Methods : Using AMES and motion sensor, we visualized a time-series motion template(intended motion) and participant's own motion(actual motion) manipulating an acupuncture needle. Ten students were trained with complex lifting/thrusting techniques for 8 training trials. We compared the motion pattern error of the students between the first and the last trials. Results : In our pilot experiment, half of the participants showed significantly improved manipulation skills in complex lifting/thrusting techniques after training with AMES which is developed in this study, while the other half of the participants did not show significant improvements. Conclusions : The AMES could be useful in acupuncture-manipulation training for students. Our findings suggest that novice can improve sophisticated hand movement for acupuncture manipulation with sensorimotor learning using visual feedback.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2016

Objectives : This study was done to show the clinical effect of miniscalpel acupuncture treatment on osteoarthritis of the knee which is refractory to acupuncture treatment. Methods : A patient was treated with acupuncture for three weeks, non-treated(wash out period) for two weeks, and treated with miniscalpel acupuncture for three weeks. The effect of treatments were measured with Visual Analogue Scale(VAS), Range of Motion(ROM), Short form McGill pain questionnaire(SF-MPQ), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC). Results : During the three weeks of acupuncture treatment, VAS, SF-MPQ and WOMAC improved, but after two weeks of the wash out period each score worsened. During the three weeks of miniscalpel acupuncture VAS, SF-MPQ, and WOMAC improved while ROM improved remarkably. Conclusion : These results suggest that miniscalpel acupuncture might be a therapeutic option for knee degenerative osteoarthritis patients who does not responded to acupuncture treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.197-204
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• 2005

Objectives : This survey was accomplished to find out how Korean medical doctors take acupuncture prescriptions for knee osteoarthritis in real clinical practice. Methods : The survey questions were developed by the consensus from 4 professors and 10 residents who major in acupuncture & moxibustion for developing clinical trial protocol on individualized acupuncture treatment for knee osteoarthritis. The questionnaires were distributed via e-mail to 3,306 members of Korea Oriental Medical Association from March 15th to March 23rd in 2005.84 members completed answers, and the computerized data were analyzed by ISP statistical program. Results : 1. 68 out of 84 Korean medical doctors used pattern diagnosis. 2. 61 out of 84 Korean medical doctors used both local and remote points, 20 doctors remote points only, and 3 doctors local acupuncture points only. 3. In case of doctors who use remote acupuncture points only, the acupuncture prescription principle was Saam or five element acupuncture (66%), along the meridian pathway (14%), Eight constitutional acupuncture (11%), Taegeuk acupuncture (2%), and miscellaneous (18%). Conclusion : In our e-mail survey, Korean medical doctors who experienced more than 10 year practice answered that they use five element acupuncture or Saam acupuncture according to meridian pathway theory as the most common principle of their acupuncture treatment prescription.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2005

Background : Over the last thirty years, majority of researches on clinical effectiveness of acupuncture have been explanatory (or experimental) randomized controlled trial. The benefits of acupuncture in clinical trials are still controversial and most studies concluded that further control studies were required. Standardized combinations of acupuncture points for all the experimental subjects in various past studies have been criticized because such treatments do not reflect current routine clinical treatment. Objective : This paper aims to review pragmatic clinical trials on the effect of acupuncture treatment and to develop the ideal clinical research methodology of acupuncture study. Method : Clinical studies of acupuncture relevant with pragmatic or individualized trials were searched mainly in Pubmed and Science direct databases. All articles were fully reviewed by researchers, and data were evaluated by usage of a standardized form. Results & Suggestion : Pragmatic acupuncture researches were tried for various symptoms (eg. low back pain, hypertension, depression during pregnancy, sleep quality in HIV disease, chronic poststroke leg spasticity, headache, etc). Individualized acupuncture treatments based on oriental disease pattern diagnosis reflexes practical treatments which is more effective than unified and fixed acupuncture treatments without any theoretical basis of oriental medical philosophy. Conclusion : To overcome the controversies and limitations of past explanatory acupuncture trials, more individualized and tailored acupuncture trials with the theoretical basis of oriental medical diagnosis is highly recommended. Also clear definition and categorization of pattern identification should be established for further active clinical researches and applications of acupuncture.