• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2009

Objective : To make comprehensive picture of clinical trials using moxibustion and their results by today, then help a strategy for moxibustion-derived clinical studies in the future. Methods : Surveyed literatures containing randomized controled clinical trial (RCT) from PubMed and Korean journals. Analysis was performed according to distribution mainly by study subject, target diseases, study design, and its efficacy. Results : Fifty two literatures were selected according to inclusion criteria of randomized controled clinical study. Moxibustion-derived RCT have been rapidly increased from 2003 since the first was published in China in 1992. The main subjects of RCT are associated with immunity, cancer, arthritis, chronic colitis and urogenital disorders, which are connected to cold-elated pathogenesis. The average number of subjects was 94, and direct-moxibustion was mainly applied. The control groups were set up by giving conventional therapy, herbal medicine, acupuncture or only observation. The most of RCTs showed positive results. Conclusions : This study would be helpful for designing or conducting RCTs to develop the scientific development of moxibustion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.405-412
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• 2022

Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive pleural malignancy, and despite all multimodal treatment modalities, the 5-year overall survival rate of patients with MPM is less than 20%. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the surgical and prognostic outcomes of patients with MPM who received multimodal treatment. Methods: In this retrospective, single-center study, the records of patients who underwent surgery for MPM between January 2010 and December 2020 at our department were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Sixty-four patients were included in the study, of whom 23 (35.9%) were women and 41 (64.1%) were men. Extrapleural pneumonectomy, pleurectomy/decortication, and extended pleurectomy/decortication procedures were performed in 34.4%, 45.3%, and 20.3% of patients, respectively. The median survival of patients was 21 months, and the 5-year survival rate was 20.2%. Advanced tumor stage (hazard ratio [HR], 1.8; p=0.04), right-sided extrapleural pneumonectomy (HR, 3.1; p=0.02), lymph node metastasis (HR, 1.8; p=0.04), and incomplete multimodal therapy (HR, 1.9; p=0.03) were poor prognostic factors. There was no significant survival difference according to surgical type or histopathological subtype. Conclusion: Multimodal therapy can offer an acceptable survival rate in patients with MPM. Despite its poor reputation in the literature, the survival rate after extrapleural pneumonectomy, especially left-sided, was not as poor as might be expected.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the horticultural therapy program on patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia depending on the frequency and duration of the interventions. We developed the same 15-session program to improve cognitive functions and life satisfaction and alleviate depression of the elderly women with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. Subjects in Longer Treatment group participated in the program once a week for 15 weeks and subjects in Shorter Tratmet group participated twice a week for 7½ weeks. This study conducted pretest-posttest verification of both groups using quasi-experimental design involving 21 subjects. Elderly life satisfaction, Geriatric Depression Scale (short form), and the Korean Version of Consortium to Establish a Registry of Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) were used in the evaluation. As a result, both groups showed an increase in life satisfaction, and a decrease in depression. However, there was a significant difference in the changes of the CERAD-K scores between the two groups (p < .05). In Longer Treatment group, life satisfaction increased significantly (p < .001), and depression decreased at a marginally significant level (p = .068), but no statistically significant change was observed in neurocognitive function. In Shorter Treatment group, life satisfaction increased at a marginally significant level (p = .059), and depression and CERAD-K scores decreased significantly (p < .05). However, in the case of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), there was no significant change in both groups. According to these results, when planning a horticultural therapy program for persons with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, it is effective to organize and execute the program by determining the duration of intervention as 3 to 4 months or longer, even if this reduces the number of interventions per week.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.105-115
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• 2014

Objective : Traditional medicine (TM) has been playing its role in national healthcare system and it is taken as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) from the viewpoint of modern Western medicine. In the UK, not a few practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are working as CAM practitioners using herbal medicine and acupuncture therapy. Cases of dispute in the TCM practice are not rare these days because patients who take TCM service are increasing by year. Method : In the UK, dispute cases of the Traditional Medicine of East Asia can be found these days, however, it is hard to find a reported court case. A medical dispute case of TCM will be analysed to see the legal management and the resolving principle in the alternative medicine practice with some cases of Korean Medicine (KM) being discussed. Results : The usual pattern of clinical negligence can be discussed from the points of a duty of care, breach of that duty by negligence, and the harm to the patient from that breach of duty. The judge followed this procedure In this case to discuss the claims. The department of health proposed to introduce regulation to provide the reasonable quality in TCM practice, and the governmental system would be essential to regulate both the TCM practice and practitioners. Conclusion : The dispute case of traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) practice is important for the clinical negligence in TCHM practice. Judging the negligence of a TCHM practitioner involves the conventional negligence principle in tort law, and the TCHM practitioners are required to keep up with the up-to-date information on the related medical specialty. The reasoning is almost the same as that shown in the court case of Korea. The TCHM practice in the UK needs to be under the regulation by the government. The standard of care we expect of a TCHM practitioner is a further matter to discuss from the healthcare and social viewpoints.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1042-1053
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of Neurofeedback(NF), Cranio-Sacral Therapy(CST) and Combine Therapy(CT) in middle aged women through their experiences after participating these therapies. The participants were 53 middle aged women who lived in S city, 17 in the NF group, 17 in the CST and 19 in the CT, for 10 weeks from October to December, 2007. The NF group had 30 sessions, the CST group had 10 sessions and the CT group had 30 sessions of NF training after 10 sessions of CST. The data was collected from daily chart by self reporting their experiences during sessions. Collected data was analyzed by content analysis. From raw data, 37 items of NF, 91 items of CST and 110 items of CT were extracted in the content analysis. Similar items were gathered to 22 attributes of NF, 63 of CST and 68 of CT. These attributes were categorized into 9 higher attributes. The dominant attributes of NF were doziness during the training, mental comfort, lightening of physical and mental condition. Mental and physical comfort, improvement of sleep, healthy condition, crying were the dominant of CST. Also mental and physical comfort, lightening of physical condition, improvement of sleep, tear were the dominant of CT. According to the results of this study NF, CST and CT were very effective on physical and psychological relaxation. Therefore it is recommended that these NF, CST and CT be used as a complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) in middle aged women.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.219-235
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• 2006

Purpose : To investigate the medical information related to HRT online and the medical treatment of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in the Dept. of Ob&Gy Korean Medicine Hospital, after the discontinuance of the WHI trial in U.S, July 2002. Methods : With the key-words "HRT", "Hormone Replacement therapy", "호르몬 대체요법(HRT)", 갱년기 증후군(perimenopausal syndrome)", “폐경기후증후군(postmenopausal syndrome)", I searched for the information from July 2002 to 2005 on DAUM, the representative portal site in Korea, and I've got a grasp of the tendency of the informational propagation on HRT. Moreover, I investigated chief complaints and tendency of give up HRT of the perimenopausal and postmenopausal women(aged between 47 and 60) who visited Dept. of Ob&Gy Korean Medicine Hospital for 2 years and 6 months since July 2002. Results : 1) Searching for the news on DAUM, I found; 2 articles on the methods of HRT: 4 on the positive effects of HRT: 4 on the general items including the positive effects of HRT: 19 on the side effects of HRT: 1 on the insignificant effect of HRT :4 on the apprehensions about HRT: 3 on the strengthening of the criteria on medical fees review: 3 on the discontinuance of HRT: 8 on the alternative materials and medicines to HRT: 4 on the guidance for the phyto-estrogen. 2) I analyzed chief complaints of 120 women. The majority of chief complaints were vasomotor symptoms like hot flush and sweating. There were only 4 patients who wanted to give up HRT. Conclusion : The side effects of HRT were objectively dealt with online but there was not enough effective and continuous guidance. In the case that a woman not on HRT wishes to overcome perimenopausal period through KM therapy, this information may have affected her decision. However, not many women who were already on HRT terminated the therapy for fear of side effects and switched to KM therapy. Promotion of KM therapy in improving health during perimenopausal and postmenopausal period is desperately needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2547-2554
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• 2014

Background: To evaluate the perception of cancer patients toward treatment services and influencing factors and to inquire about the use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM). Materials and Methods: Information was obtained through pre-tested structured questionnaires completed by cancer patients during treatment at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: Of 242 patients, 137 (64.6%) accepted to enter this study. Most were Saudi (n=93, 68%), female (n=80, 58%), educated at university (n=71, 52%), married (n=97, 72%) and with breast cancer (n=36, 26%). One-hundred (73%) patients were satisfied with the services provided; 61% were Saudi. Ninety-four (68%) respondents were satisfied with the explanation of their cancer. Twenty-eight (21.6%) patients received CAM, of them 54.0% received herbal followed by rakia (21.0%), nutritional supplements/vitamins (7.0%) and Zamam water (18.0%), with significant differences among them (p =0.004). Seven (5%) patients believed this therapy could be used alone; 34 (25%) patients believed it could be used with other treatments, regardless of whether they themselves used this therapy. Fifty-three (53%) satisfied patients felt they received enough support; 31 (58%) patients received support from family and friends; 22 (41.6%) patients received support from the health-care team. Patients who received information about their disease from their physicians and those who felt they had enough support were more satisfied. The patients who took alternative treatment were older age, mostly female and highly educated but values did not reach significance. Conclusions: We stress enhancing the educational and supportive aspects of cancer-patient services to improve their treatment satisfaction and emphasize the need for increasing the educational and awareness programs offered to these patients.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.67-81
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• 2011

Background : Complementary and alternative medicine has bee used to cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, many hospitals have tried to integrate complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) with conventional medical approaches for patients with chronic diseases. Recently, the prevalence of the use of traditional Korean medicine(TKM) among patients with chronic diseases, expecially, hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident is increasing in Korea. To date, however, there were only few studies addressing the patients' attitudes, and utilization of TKM, compared to the well-documented escalating use of TKM among consumers in Korea. Objectives : The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of TKM use among hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident and to determine what factors affect to use CAM among the patients. The study also aims to provide information on TKM and assist therapy selection among various CAM therapies for hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident within health care system in which both practitioners of TKM and practitioners of modern Western medicine coexisted. Methods : The design of the study was descriptive cross-sectional, and data were collected using a 32-items questionnaire. The subjects were one hundred fifty nine patients with chronic diseases who visited or admitted to health care facilities in a hospital in Seoul Metropolitan city, Korea. Data were analyzed using 'SPSS Statistics 18.0 Network Version(on release 18.0.1 of PASW Statistics)' program. Various statistical methods were used to obtain a profile for participants and the therapies most frequently used by hemiplegia patients of TKM. Logistic regression analysis was employed in order to determine the predicting variables of TKM use. Results : The prevalence of the use of TKM was 51.6%. The most common TKM therapies used by the patients included acupuncture(93.2%), herbal medicine(64.8%), and cupping(37.5%). Results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the variables significantly related with TKM use were gender, marital status, job, No. of visiting health care facilities/week. Conclusions : This study shows that the use of TKM among the hemiplegia patients is relatively high in Korea, this topic should be taken into account in the development of a holistic approach for patients with chronic diseases and an efficient chronic disease management system in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.90-98
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• 2008

Purpose: Menopausal syndrome is caused by urgent changes of sex hormone in women. The hormonal therapy can soothe the problems of menopausal patients, but it can increase the probability of another disease, such as breast cancer, heart attack, etc. So the demand of alternative herb therapy is increasing in Western countries. In Korea, herbal medicine is imported and used by Western doctors. To know and use the alternative herbal medicine, Korean Medical doctors should know their efficacy and safety. Methods: We researched the Medline(Pubmed) with the key word such as 'CAM', 'herb' and 'menopause'. We selected the herbs known as treating the menopausal syndrome and researched the similar or same herbs that are used in Korean medicine by the scientific name and efficient ingredients. To evaluate the efficacy of the herbs, we compared the herbs that were differently defined in alternative and Korean medicine Results: Balm, black cohosh, chaste berry, dong quai. evening primrose oil. ginkgo, St. John's wort, valerian root, and sarsaparilla were chosen as prevalent herbs used in alternative medicine. The pharmacologic effect of Black cohosh, licorice root, St. John's wort were recognized. But these three herbs are not usually prescripted for menopausal patients in Korean medicine. So we could apply these three herbs as one of Korean medical treatments. The efficacy of other herbs cannot be surely prescripted for menopausal patients. Conclusion: The efficacy and safety of alternative medicine is not proved yet. But to diversify the treatmental methods of Korean medicine, we need to prove and use these medicine as one of Korean medical treatment.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.167-178
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• 2008

Purpose: Many breastfeeding women have used complementary and alternative medicine, but the guideline for lactation does not exist on complementary medicine. This study is to investigate efficacy and safety of complementary and alternative medicine in breastfeeding. Methods: We searched for papers which had breastfeeding, complementary medicine, acupuncture and herb in the pubmed, scopus site and Korean journals. Results: 38 papers were found. Acupuncture could have the efficacy on hypogalatia and mastitis. Compound herb therapy had effect on hypogalactia, but none of herbs were investigated for safety all except for St John's wort. So more clinical trials about herbs would be needed. Massage and the other complementary therapies would be helpful for breastfeeding mother. Conclusion: Acupuncture could be a good treatment for hypogalactia and inflammation of the breast. For making guidelines on complementary and alternative medicine during lactation, more research will be needed.