• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.85-107
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• 2023

Objective : To investigate the usage of Korean herbal medicine (KHM) for climacteric symptoms, this study reviewed clinical studies conducted in Korea. Method : Literature search was performed on three Korean database; OASIS, RISS and NDSL. Studies published before July 2023 were categorized and analyzed according to the study type and herbal prescriptions. Results : Fifty-eight studies including 7 controlled trial, 27 case series and 24 single case reports were included in our review and the total number of case patients was 420. 52 prescriptions based on syndrome identifications and 11 prescriptions of Sasang constitutions were used and the most frequently used prescriptions were Soyosan(逍遙散) and Guibitang(歸脾湯). Thirty-two prescriptions were also mentioned in previous delphi research or clinical practice guideline, and the rest were not. Thirty-five studies used acupuncture combined with KHM and 10 studies used pharmacopuncture and 5 studies used herbal hipbath. Conclusion : To increase the therapeutic effect of KHM and establish KHM as an alternative to hormone treatment, various prescriptions should be used according to syndrome identifications in the clinical field. High-quality RCTs on frequently used prescriptions and the development of various type of KHM are also necessary.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.157-180
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• 2022

Objectives: To perform a systematic review of placenta pharmacopuncture for treating neuropsychiatric diseases, focusing on its efficacy and the safety so that evidence on its clinical use could be obtained, thus contributing to further studies. Methods: Through Korean, English, and Chinese databases (OASIS, Korean TK, KISS, RISS, ScienceON, Pubmed, Cochrane, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, CNKI, and Wanfang), combinations of keywords (placenta, pharmacopuncture, etc.) were used to select clinical studies published until January 2021 about placenta pharmacopuncture for neuropsychiatric diseases. Interventions included combined treatments. Study design included cases studies, series, and clinical trials. Cohort studies, literature reviews, in vitro and animal experiments were excluded. The primary outcomes involved measurements of symptoms, Visual Analogue Scale, or questionnaires. Data extracted from databases were imported to Endnote X7 to remove duplicates. The quality of the literature was assessed based on CAse REports Guidelines and Cochrane's Risk of Bias (ROB). Results: Twenty-one studies were selected, including ten case reports, three case series, two one-armed clinical trials, one non-randomized clinical trial, and five randomized clinical trials. There were six studies on sleep disorders, five studies on stroke sequela, two on mood disorders, two on enuresis, two on Guillain-Barré syndrome, two on multiple sclerosis, one on neurocognitive disorder, and one on vertigo. The most frequent combined treatment was acupuncture in both the experimental group (n=10) and the control group (n=3). Acupoints were ST36, SP6, BL23, CV4, GB20, GV20, N-HN54, and so on. All studies reported improvement of symptoms. The quality of case studies was relatively high. Assessment of ROBs resulted in low risks. Conclusions: Placenta pharmacopuncture is effective for neuropsychiatric diseases such as sleep disorders, mood disorders, enuresis, and neurocognitive disorders. Regarding insomnia, several studies have reported significant improvements with placenta pharmacopuncture. There was no adverse event associated with placenta pharmacopuncture.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.103-112
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• 2019

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate pain reduction and treatment satisfaction of patients with rib fracrture treated with Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy under ultrasonic guided - thoracic paravertebral space (TPVS), and also compare to the patients with non-guided pharmacoacupuncture. Methods We studied medical records of 6 patients hospitalized with rib fractures were analyzed retrospectively at department of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation from March 1, 2019 to May 31, 2019, The 3 patients had performed the treatment of Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy on TPVS under ultrasonic guidance with Korean Medicine treatment (such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxabustion, etc) and the other 3 patients had performed the treatment of Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy on TPVS through non-guided. We used numeric rating scale to assess improvements in pain and the five-point likert scale was used to assess treatment satisfaction. Statistical analysis was carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics 24 program. Results The purpose of this study is to investigate pain reduction and treatment satisfaction of patients with rib fracrture treated with Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy under ultrasonic guided - TPVS, and also compare to the patients with non-guided pharmacoacupuncture. Conclusions After analyzing 6 studies, we could imply that the treatment of Soyeom pharmacopuncture therapy on TPVS under ultrasonic guidance could be more effective on pain reduction and improvement of treatment satisfaction with rib fracture compared to those who were treated with non-guided pharmacoacupuncture.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.177-196
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• 2004

Objective : Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that pathogenesis is not fully understood and one of the most intractable musculoskeletal diseases. The concern in the immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis has been increased since 1980's and many immunotherapeutic agents including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were developed and became the mainstay of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the cure of the disease has hardly been achieved. In oriental medicine, rheumatoid arthritis is related to Bi-Zheng(痺證), that presents pain, swelling, andlor loss of joint function as major clinical manifestations, and also known to be deeply involved in suppression of immune function related to weakness of Jung-Ki(正氣). The herbal medicine, empirically used, could be a potential resource of development of new immunotherapeutic agents for rheumatoid arthritis. Methods : We developed a search strategy using terms to include "rheumatoid arthritis and herbal medicine" combined with "Chinese medicine" and/or "Oriental medicine". The search was focused on experimental studies of herbal medicine (January 1999 to May 2004), which is known to have effects on immune function of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Computerized search used Internet databases including KISS and RISS4U (Korea), CNKI (China), MOMJ (Main Oriental Medicine Journal, Japan), and PubMed. The articles were selected from journals of universities or major research institutes. Results : The literature search for experimental studies on effects of herbal medicine on immunity of rheumatoid arthritis retrieved a total of 21 articles (Korea; 8, China ; 12, Japan ; 1). Of 21 articles, 10 were related to single-drug formula, 2 to drug interaction, and 9 to multi-drug formula. Single-drug formula was mainly used for aqua-acupuncture and researches on active components. Studies of drug interaction emphasized harmony of Ki-Hyul(氣血) and balance of Han-Yeul(寒熱). Multi-drug regimen was mainly found among formulas for Bo-Ki-Hyul(補氣血) and Bo-Sin(補腎). Conclusion : Studies on rheumatoid arthritis were performed both in vitro and in vivo in vitro study, LPS-stimulated splenocytes and synoviocytes were treated with herbal medicine, resulting in proliferation and activation of immune cells and suppression of cytokine activities in vivo study CIA animal model demonstrated that herbal medicine decreased antibody production and improved function of immune cells. In cellular and molecular study herbal medicine showed profound effects on the level of mRNA expression of certain cytokines related to immune function. This study revealed that herbal medicine has significant immune modulatory action and could be used for recovery of immune dysfunction of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.134-145
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• 2001

Introduction: Noises in the ear, whether real or imagined, are called tinnitus. Subjective causes of tinnitus(which is heard only by the patient) are extremely common and the majority of them are treated conservatively. For certain individuals their tinnitus is a major handicap; for others a trivial concern. The most common from of subjective tinnitus is a rushing, hissing or buzzing noise; it is frequently associated with sensorineural heanng loss. The patient may be unaware of the hearing loss, especially if it is a high frequency deficit of moderate severity. The character of the tinnitus may give a clue to the etiology. But the patient often has difficulty in explaining his/her tinnitus in absolute terms, as they have no other tinnitus with which to compare it but their own Tinnitus, like pain, is a subjective state and trying to objectively assess the severity is problematic. Audiological techniques to match subjective loudness to machine-produced noise may offer some help, in that sound intensity matches can bear little correspondence to subjective complaint. In spite of many studies, most patients presently seen complaining of tinnitus are told by their doctors that there is no treatment and that they will have to learn to live with this symptom. Objectives: To perform a clinical analysis of tinnitus and estimate the efficacy of Oriental Medical treatment according to the Byeonjeung(辨證). Subject: We studied 34 patients with complaints of tinnitus who had visited Pundang Cha Oriental Medicine Hospital Department of Otorhinolaryngology from March 1998 to February 2000. All of them had been treated 2 or 3 times a week with acupuncture treatment and had taken herbs according to the Byeonjeung(辨證) method. It was therefore possible for me to know whether their symptoms improved or not. Parameters Observed and Method: We treated them with acupuncture & herb-medication. Sometimes we gave them moxibustion or negative therapy with bloodletting at the acupuncture points(耳門, 聽宮, 聽會). Parameters Observed 1) Distribution of age & sex 2) Chief complaints 3) The sites of tinnitus 4) The quality of tinnitu 5) The duration of disease 6) The problem induced tinnitus 7) Factors increasing disease severity 8) The classification of the Byeonjeung(辨證) 9) The efficacy of treatments Results: 1. Age and sex distribution: The most common occurrence was found in males in their twenties: 6 males($17.7\%$), and in females in their thirties and over sixty: 8 females($23.5\%$). Total patient numbers for men and women were 20 men($58.8\%$), 14 women ($41.2\%$). 2. The most frequent major complaints were hearing disturbances related to tinnitus; and dizziness with tinnitus; each comprising 10 cases($29.4\%$). There were also 7 patients($20.6\%$) with only tinnitus. 3. Tinnitus sites: 13($38.2\%$) said that they felt tinnitus in both ears, equally. In the right ear, 9($26.5\%$), in the left, 6($17.7\%$). 4. The most frequent descriptive symptoms of tinnitus were: humming, hissing, buzzing etc. 5. The duration of disease. 14cases($41.2\%$) had a duration of less than 1 year. 6. 15cases($44.1\%$) complained that it was hard to watch TV or make a phone call because of tinnitus. 10 cases($29.4\%$) complained about depression. 7. Factors increasing severity of tinnitus: ⅰ) fatigue: 18cases($52.9\%$) ⅱ) stress/ tension: 10 cases($29.4\%$) ⅲ) alcohol and tobacco: 5cases($l4.7\%$) 8. Classification through Byeonjeung : ⅰ) 19 cases($55.9\%$) were classified as showing Deficiency syndrome. ⅱ) 15 cases($44.l\%$) were classified as showing Excess syndrome. The deficiency of Qi was 7($20.6\%$), deficiency of Xue, 8($23.5\%$) and insufficiency of the Kidney Yin & Yang, 4($11.8\%$). The flare of Liver fire was 8($23.5\%$) and phlegm-fire, 7($20.6\%$), 9. The efficacy of treatments showed: an improvement in 17cases($50.0\%$); no real improvement or changes in 13 cases($38.2\%$); and some worsening in 4 cases($11.8\%$). In the group with deficiency in Qi, 4($57.1\%$) improved, 1($14.3\%$) showed no change and 2($28.6\%$) were aggravated. In the cases of deficiency in Xue, 6($75.0\%$) improved, 2($25.0\%$) showed no change. In the cases of insufficiency of Kidney Yin & Yang, 3($75.0\%$) showed no change and 1($25.0\%$) were aggravated. In the group of flare of Liver fire, 4($50.0\%$) improved, 3($37.5\%$) no change and 1($12.5\%$) were aggravated. In the cases of phlegm-fire, 3($42.9\%$) improved, 4($57.1\%$) showed no change. Conclusion: We would recommend that any further studies of tinnitus utilize trial treatments of longer than 2 months duration, as any positive effects observed in our study showed that improvement occurred fairly slowly. And we suggest that this study could be utilized as a reference for clinical Oriental Medical treatment of tinnitus. If we try to apply music or sound therapy treatment properly combined with ours, we expect it to provide psycological stability in addition to inducing masking effects, even though it may not directly decrease or completely remove tinnitus.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the effectiveness of Korean Medicine treatment mainly withGwakhyanjeonggisangamibangand moxibustion on Verruca Vulgaris. Methods : All the patients were treated with herbal formula, including Gwakhyanjeonggisangamibangand moxibustion on wart lesions. Additional treatments such as acupuncture and cupping therapy applied selectively to patients. Photographs of lesions were used to evaluate the changes in symptoms. Results : Judging by photographs, most of patients' lesions were disappeared after the treatments in all cases. Depending on the severity and duration of the symptoms, the treatment period were different in each case: about 3 weeks, 19 weeks, and 30 weeks, respectively. Conclusions : This study shows thatGwakhyanjeonggisangamibangand moxibustion combined with other Korean Medicine treatments was effective to treat Verruca Vulgaris.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.727-737
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• 2021

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of Korean medicine on an elderly patient with posterior circulation cerebral infarction, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and early neurological deterioration (END). Methods: The patient, who already had CKD, was treated with Korean medicine, comprising herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxa, and cupping combined with Western medicine (antiplatelet, diabetes) and physical therapy. A manual muscle test (MMT) and a modified Barthel index (MBI) were used to observe the treatment effects, and blood tests were performed to check estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), which represent renal function. Results: After the treatment, MMT, MBI, and renal function scores had increased. Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medicine can effectively treat posterior circulation cerebral infarction with END in CKD, but further studies should be conducted.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1289-1300
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of this study was to report the improvement of a patient with one-and-a-half syndrome, vertigo, and paresthesia caused by acute primary pontine hemorrhage (PPH) after a combination treatment of traditional Korean and Western medicine. Case report: A 51-year-old female with one-and-a-half syndrome, vertigo, and paresthesia after PPH was treated with Korean medicine, including herbal medication, acupuncture, and moxibustion, and Western medicine, including medication and rehabilitation therapy during hospitalization. Her progress was evaluated by checking for changes in symptoms with the extraocular muscle (EOM) function test, numeral rating scale (NRS), and follow-up brain computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After 41 days of treatment, the EOM movement was improved, leaving limited abduction of the left eye. The NRS scores for vertigo and paresthesia decreased from 10 to 5 and from 10 to 3, respectively. Improvement was noted in hematoma in MRI, but a new ischemic lesion was also discovered. Conclusion: This case reports the clinical course of one-and-a-half syndrome and suggests that a combined therapy of traditional Korean and Western medicine can be useful for PPH patients with one-and-a-half syndrome, vertigo, and paresthesia. However, studies of larger populations are required.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.65-68
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• 2006

Two cases of canine intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) were treated twice a week with injection-acupuncture (injection-AP) using 0.1 ml/acupoint. In case 1, a paralysed dog with cervical intervertebral disc disease (C3-C4), was submitted to injection-AP with dexamethasone (1 mg/ml) at session 1-2 and thiamine (25 mg/ml) at session 3-5. Injected acupoints included GV-16, GB-20, BL-10, LU-7, LI-4 and SI-6. The acupoints GV-6, GV-20 and SP-6 were added at session 2-5. Trigger point (TP) therapy with 0.2 ml of 2% lidocaine was used in session 3-5 at TP in the infraspinatus and triceps muscles. Treatment was stopped when paralysis disappeared after 5 injection-AP treatments; there were no recurrent symptoms in the follow-up period of 5 months. In case 2, an ataxic dog with lumbar IVDD (L1-L2), was submitted to injection-AP with dexamethasone at session 1 and 2 and thiamine at session 3-4. Injected acupoints included GV-6 as the main point, ST-36, GB-30, ST-40, GB-34, ST-41 and BL-40. TP therapy with 0.2 ml of 2% lidocaine was used at TP in the ileocostorum lumborum and quadriceps muscles. Treatment was stopped when ataxia disappeared after 4 treatments; there were no recurrent symptoms In the fallow-up period of 5 months. Injection-AP using dexamethasone and thiamine, combined with TP therapy using lidocaine, effectively alleviate the symptoms of canine cervical and lumbar IVDD.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.8-18
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• 2015

Objectives: There have been several studies evaluated effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on spasticity but most studies could not assess spasticity quantitatively because they used clinical rating scales for assessment spasticity. The objective of this study is to evaluate effect of EA on poststroke spasticity quantitatively using tendon reflex (T-reflex). Methods: 29 stroke patients with upper extremity spasticity were randomized to EA group and control group. The EA group received combined EA and rehabilitation therapy 5 times a week for 3 weeks. Acupuncture treatment was given at Jian Yu (LI 15), Qu Chi (LI 11), Shao Hai (HT 3), Wai Guan (TE 5), He Gu (LI 4), Lie Que (LU 7), Hou Xi (SI 3) of the affected side, 30 minutes of electrical stimulation with a frequency of 40/13 Hz was applied at Qu Chi (LI 11), He Gu (LI 4). The control group received only rehabilitation therapy. The efficacy of treatment was assessed using T-reflex latency and amplitude, modified Ashworth scale (MAS) of biceps brachii, brachioradialis and triceps brachii. Fugl-Meyer motor function assessment (FMA) and functional independence measure (FIM) were also measured to assess motor function and functional independence. All outcomes were measured before treatment, immediately after 3 weeks of treatment and 1 week after 3 weeks of treatment. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in outcomes including T-reflex between the study groups except for FIM values immediately after 3 weeks of treatment (p=0.037). Conclusions: These results suggest that 3 weeks of EA does not reduce poststroke upper extremity spasticity electrophysiologically and clinically. However, small sample sizes and contradictory tendency between results from T-reflex and those from MAS require cautious judgement on interpretation of the results. A larger, well-designed clinical trials for quantitative evaluation of effect of EA on poststroke spasticity will be needed.