• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.93-97
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• 2000

Backgrounds and Purpose: Hypertension is a common origin for stroke, heart disease, etc. Clinical management is needed to prevent these diseases. It has been said that auricular acupuncture treatment can be used for the control of hypertension. In this study, we studied the effects of auricular acupuncture on mild hypertension. Materials and Methods: Clinical study was performed on 22 stroke patients who didn't take the antihypertensive drugs. They were admitted in Kyunghee University, Hospital of Oriental Medicine. We checked patients' 24-hour blood pressure by Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor and did auricular acupuncture treatment for one day and rechecked blood pressure for 24-hours. We compared the blood pressure between, before, and after auricular acupuncture treatment by Wilcoxon test. The acupuncture points were KOHYOLABJUM, NAEBUNBI, SHINMUN, SHIM, KANGABJUM. They were all on the auricular. Results: After auricular acupuncture treatment, systolic and diastolic hypertension decreased significantly(p<0.05), but heart rates didn't change significantly. Conclusions: These results suggest that Auricular acupuncture treatment may be used for antihypertensive purpose. About the efficacy and safety, further study is needed.

• 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 Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.135-146
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• 2001

Insomnia is one of the most common symtoms of Neuropsychiatry patients. These are many approaches to treat insomnia, but it is difficult to be resolved completely. Acupuncture and Auricular acupuncture have been used for relief insomnia. But it is not sufficient to compare the effect of Acupuncture treatment and Auricular acupuncture treatment. Thus we investigate the effect of Acupuncture treatment group and Auricular acupuncture treatment group. A clinical analysis was carried out for 40 patients who was treated insomnia with Acupuncture(20 patients) and Auricular acupuncture(20 patients) in Seoul Dong-Seo Oriental Hospital. 1. Total duration of sleeping time showed $1.55{\pm}1.1574$ hours increased in Acupuncture group and $0.925{\pm}1.184$ hours increased in Aricular acupuncture group. especially Acupuncture were much more effective method than Aricular acupuncture. P-value was 0.033 (P <0.05) 2. Delaying time before the onset of sleep showed $0.7375{\pm}0.8940$ hours decreased in Acupuncture group and $0.7969{\pm}1.3298$ hours decreased in Auricular acupuncture group. (P <0.05) 3. The wake times showed $0.9167{\pm}1.7299$ times decreased in Acupuncture group and $1.2308{\pm}1.1658$ times decreased in Auricular acupuncture group in sleep maintenance insomnia. (P <0.05) 4. Change in quality of sleep showed Excellent 30%, Good 50%, Fair 15%, Poor 5% in Acupuncture group and Excellent 20%, Good 45%, Fair 30%, Poor 5% in Aruricular acupuncture group.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.103-113
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to review the auricular acupuncture treatment of insomnia in current traditional medicine. Methods : We reviewed the 18 studies about auricular acupuncture of insomnia which were published from 2005 through 2009. We selected those studies from PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, KMbase, Korean studies Information Service System, and Korean traditional knowledge portal. Results : Selected 18 studies were divided into 8 case reports and 10 control studies. Auricular acupuncture points frequently used were Sinmun(神門), Heart(心) and acupuncture points frequently used were Baekhoe(百會, GV20), Sinmun(神門, HT7). According to specific parts of symptom, some points were added. Most of studies reported that Auricular acupuncture treatment of insomnia were very effective. Conclusions : There have been many auricular acupuncture treatment of insomnia in traditional medicine, and we believe that these studies could be applied to the clinical practices in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.121-136
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• 2004

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to identify the clinical effects of auricular acupuncture in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Methods : Auricular acupuncture treatments were prescribed to 29 dysmenorrhea patients 1 time a week for 13 weeks. Results : After the treatment, numerical index for the pain was obviously reduced 'tot' point 2.61. It means that pain index as the patient has difficulty in daily life was reduced to 2 grades enough to do ordinary experience. Conclusions : This study shows that auricular acupuncture treatment has remarkable effects on dysmenorrhea.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.12-18
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• 2003

Objectives : Hypertension is very prevalent disease, and causes serious cardiovascular complications. Nowadays optimal hypertension treatment is emphasized to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular complications. Auricular acupuncture therapy is economical, safe and effective. Its clinical application is various, and it can be used to control blood pressure. So The effect of auricular acupuncture therapy was investigated. Daily variation of blood pressure during needle-embedded period and variation of blood pressure by blood pressure classification were observed. Methods : The auricular acupuncture points we used were Gangapjeom (降壓點), Sinmun (神門), Gyogam (交感), Sim(心), and Icheom (耳尖). Auricular acupuncture needles were embedded for three days. Blood pressure was checked four times per day and the mean obtained. Results : The following results were obtained : 1. During needle-embedded period, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased. Blood pressure decreased most significantly 2 days after treatment. 2. The change of blood pressure in the higher blood pressure group was more remarkable than that of the lower blood pressure group. Conclusions : Through this research, auricular acupuncture therapy is considered as an effective and safe method to lower blood pressure.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.183-192
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• 2002

Objectives The Objective was to evaluate the efficacy of auricular acupuncture treatment for adolescent dysmenorrheic women. Method This study was carried out to the 25 adolescent dysmenorrheic women without pelvic or other systemic disease and its history who visited outpatient department of Oriental Hospital, Semyung, univ. from June, 2002 to September, 2002. We investigated general characteristics, menstrual and dysmenorrheic characteristics through out the patient's note and comparison of before and after auricular acupuncture treatment by using a 10cm Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) for sample patients. Results The $mean{\pm}Standard$ Error of mean(S.E) of VAS score on before and after auricular acupuncture treatment were $6.36{\pm}0.49$ and $2.24{\pm}0.35$. The $mean{\pm}S.E$ of VAS score of after auricular acupuncture treatment was decreased significantly compared with that of before(p<0.01). Conclusion The auricular acupuncture treatment will be efficacious against adolescent dysmenorrhea

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2 s.32
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• pp.331-336
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• 1996

We have studied the effect of auricular acupuncture on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). 100 female patients undergoing transabdominal hysterectomy were entered into the study. The patients were divided into two groups (auricular acupuncture treatment group and non-treatment group) to test the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture. acupuncture consisted of needle insertion in one ear at four points: sympathetic, stomach, shinmoon and occiput. Before the operation, the above points were punctured perpendicularly by the thumbtack-type needle, leaving its handle lying flat on the skin surface. There was no significant difference in age, weight, height and duration of anesthesia among the two groups of patients. There was a cignificant difference between the control group and auricular acupuncture treatment group in the incidence of vomiting at the first 12 h after surgery 68% and 30%, respectively, p<0.01) No noteworthy side effects fbom treatment were observed. auricular acupuncture is effective in reducing nausea and vomiting after transabdominal hysterectomy in female patients.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.57-69
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• 2008

Objectives : To review the controlling methods used in RCTs (randomized controlled trials) of auricular acupuncture. Methods : To investigate the controlling methods used in clinical trials of auricular acupuncture, 46 articles were retrieved from PUBMED (from August 1976 to August 2007, with limits: english, clinical trial) using the key words of "ear acupuncture", "auricular acupuncture", "auriculo-medicine", and sorted out according to the types of control treatments. Among them, 10 articles were selected based on STRICTA (Standards for Reporting Intervention in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture), and the controlling methods used in those articles were reviewed. Results : In clinical trials of auricular acupuncture, 'sham acupoints (non-acupoints and non-treatment acupoints included)', 'minimal acupuncture', 'pseudo-intervention', and 'placebo devices' have been used as controlling methods, but their 'inactivity' have been in question. To compensate the disadvantages of 'minimal acupuncture', and 'pseudo-intervention' control, placebo auricular acupuncture needles have been developed, although these needles didn't satisfy the conditions of 'blinding' and 'physical inactivity' simultaneously. Conclusions : Further researches on 'sham acupoints' and new development of 'placebo auricular acupuncture needles' are needed.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.27-41
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• 2002

Objective : The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of two other groups(Group A and B) which were treated with two other auricular acupuncture therapy to quit smoking. Methods : Seventy three high-school students were devided in two groups. Group A was treated with auricular acupuncture therapy by burying a needle in one side ear. Group B was not only treated with auricular acupuncture therapy by burying a needle in one side ear, but also treated with venesection on the other side ear. The effects of auricular acupuncture therapy to quit smoking were evaluated at two weeks and six months after the therapy. Results : Group A's score to quit smoking after the auricular acupuncture therapy was higher than Group B's score. Conclusions : Treating with auricular acupuncture therapy by burying a needle in one side ear and venesection on the other side, was effective neither on decreasing the amount of smoking nor on decreasing the desire to smoke compared with the only needle burying treatment.