• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.89-105
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• 2009

Objectives : Hyun-Ga therapy, a creative method that involves meridian pathways for isometric exercise, has displayed the possibility of treating and alleviating idiopathic scoliosis in terms of theory. The researcher explored current research trends and introduced Hyun-Ga therapy in which meridian pathways theory is applied. Methods : We examined theses and books of oriental or western medicine that cover idiopathic scoliosis. By doing these, we looked into the role of Hyun-Ga therapy towards the prevention and treatment of idiopathic scoliosis, and gained the following results. Results and Conclusions : Hyun-Ga therapy, the manual technique that has introduced the concept of silence and movement into rectifying the body through isometric exercise on meridian pathways in the limbs, can be practiced more easily than other conventional manual techniques. Hyun-Ga therapy based on meridian pathways theory is highly evaluated for its clinical insight on the structural and functional roles of meridian pathways. The theory of Hyun-Ga therapy, however, needs to be supported by more objective and sufficient complementary data. For this, continuing research and analysis are required in the future.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.86-99
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• 2007

Objectives : Cancer patients who are afraid of unpleasant therapy and doubt a perfect cure often seek out traditional Korean medicine or many other kinds of complementary and alterative medicine (CAM) instead. This study was carried out in order to learn the prevalence and kinds of the traditional Korean medicine and CAM to evaluate awareness of and attitude toward it. Methods : 213 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone surgery in the department of gastrointestinal surgery and visited for routine follow-up from November to December of 2004 were included. A questionnaire survey was done by trained interviewers for CAM and demographic information. Results : 96.7% of patients had experience with CAM. The kinds and frequencies of CAM were diet and nutrition 21.0%, folk remedy 21.0%, pharmacological treatment 13.5%, oriental medicine 5.3% and mind-body intervention 1.4%. 56.8% of patients had experienced 2-6 kinds of CAM, 37.4% more than 7. Among diet and nutrition, ginseng (62.9%) was highest, followed by ox leg bone soup (50.8%) and pumpkin (31.5%). Among the folk remedies, elm tree was highest at 46.5%, followed by phellinus linteus (Sang-Whang) at 26.8% and ganoderma lucidum (Young-Gee) 20.7%.satisfaction with CAM was relatively low (43.2%), many patients (78.2%) replied that they would use it continuously. Conclusion : Most patients had experience with many kinds of CAM, but didn't discuss it with medical doctors. If scientific study proves whether or not each kind of CAM is actually effective ondisease, it will help to improve the health of patients and prevent the inappropriate usage and cost.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.144-154
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• 2007

Purpose: This descriptive study was conducted to identify the use of complementary and alternative therapies, and the perception and attitudes toward CAT in Korean adults. Methods: The 1,010 study subjects were recruited from ten regions in South Korea. Data were collected from July to September, 2004. Results: The 43.2% of the sample(n=436) had an experience of using CAT. The subjects using CAT was more likely to have high score in the CAT perception compared to the subjects with no experience of CAT(p=.001). The primary source of information about CAT was mass media(59.7%). The 52.4% of the sample answered that CAT was supplementary and the 27.7% answered CAT was applicable to chronic pain or musculoskeletal disorders. Subjects(34.8%) pointed out that the greatest problem was no scientific informant in the use of CAT. The primary reason of using CAT was to maintain their health or to prevent disease(44.0%), and the 59.0% of the subjects responded that CAT was effective. Majority of subjects were satisfied with CAT(63.3%) and experienced no side effects of CAT(90.6%). Conclusion: This study suggests that professional counseling and education for CAT is needed for Korean public as well as the research approach to test the effects of CAT.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.3 s.67
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• pp.151-168
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• 2006

Objectives: To help the Oriental medicine clinical studies for the common cold treatment, this study analyzed the tendency of research into complementary medicine on the common cold recently published in PubMed. Methods: This study analyzed 26 research papers on complementary medicine on the common cold published in PubMed Over the past 10 years. It measured annually and for each country the number of papers published, the number of subjects, the period of research, the area of trial, the method of study, the objective of study, and intervention, respectively and intervention, the objective of study, and the result of trials overall. Results: There were research papers concerning treatment, prevention, safety of herbal medicine, inducement, and improvement of symptoms of the common cold in the study objective the most among them concerned treatment of the common cold. There were more positive results compared to negative results for treatment and prevention. The results for safety and symptom improvement were positive, while the results for the inducement were indeterminate. There were research papers about using food and medicine, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and cold exposure in intervention the most among them were about using food and medicine. The food and medicine interventions were Echinacea preparations, vitamins, zinc preparations, Baptisia, Thuja, the root of North American ginseng, probiotic bacteria, troxerutin, garlic, Andrographis paniculata, and caffeine. The use of Echinacea preparations was the most frequent among them. Conclusions: Recent research results of complementary medicine on the common cold were more positive than negative.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.4013-4018
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• 2015

Objective: To explore the clinical application of recombinant human endostatin (Endostar) in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Chinese mainland. Materials and Methods: A total of 75 patients diagnosed as NSCLC were randomly divided into control group (37 cases) and treatment group (38 cases). Control group was treated with postoperative complementary chemotherapy containing two-agent platinum protocol on postoperative d21, 3 weeks as a cycle, for totally 4~6 cycles. On this basis, treatment group was added with Endostar $7.5mg/m^2$ on postoperative d8~9, 3~4 h/time, qd, 14 weeks as a cycle, for totally 4 cycles. The interval between every two cycles was 7 d. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS), 5-year survival time and complications in both groups were observed. Results: Compared with control group, the average PFS increased evidently in treatment group by 9.8 months (41.6 months vs. 31.8 months), and there was significant difference (P<0.05). And the median PFS was 42.5 months in treatment group, obviously longer than that in control group (33.7 months) by 8.8 months (P<0.05). Additionally, the 5-year overall survival rate (OS), average survival time and median survival time (MST) were 47.4%, 50.1 months and 59.3 months in treatment group, significantly higher than the 29.7%, 42.1 months and 43.5 months in control group (P<0.05). Only 1 patient showed poor healing of surgical wound in treatment group, but no surgery-associated complication was found in control group. Moreover, the postoperative complementary therapy-connected complication rates were 63.2% (24/38) and 59.5% (22/37) in treatment group and control group respectively, but there was no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusions: The application of Endostar combined with sensitive platinum-contained chemotherapeutic agents in the postoperative complementary chemotherapy can be widely used in clinic because it can significantly prolong the long-term survival time of patients with NSCLC.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of light therapy on sleep disturbance and depression in climacteric women with menopausal symptoms. Methods: The research design was a nonequivalent control group pre test-post test design. Data were collected from September 29, 2013 to November 11, 2013. Participants included 17 climacteric women in an artificial light therapy group, 17 climacteric women in a sun light therapy group and 16 climacteric women in a control group. Measures consisted of the sleep disturbance, depression, melatonin, and serotonin. Results: There was a statistically significant difference of Korean Sleep Scale A (F=53.87, p<.001), and melatonin (F=31.19, p<.001) among three groups. There was a statistically significant difference of Self-Rating Depression Scale (F=121.86, p<.001), and serotonin (F=102.37, p<.001) among three groups. Conclusion: Artificial and sun light therapy can be applied as a supportive nursing intervention to subjects with sleep disturbance and depression in climacteric women with menopausal symptoms. Artificial and sun light therapy is expected to be a complementary alternative intervention for health management of the subjects with sleep disturbance and depression in climacteric women with menopausal symptoms.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1590-1596
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• 2007

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has gained in popularity among cancer patients in recent years. The use of CAM in cancer patients is common with about one third of patients using some form of CAM in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of CAM and determine what factors affect to use CAM among cancer patients to provide CAM therapy information and assist therapy selection among various CAM therapies to cancer patients. The design of the study was descriptive cross-sectional, and data were collected using a 16-item questionnaire. This study was conducted in subjects with confirmed diagnosis of stomach, colon, liver, or pancreas cancer, in both out-patients clinics and inpatients setting in a tertiary hospital in Seoul Korea. As a result, among the participants, past or current CAM use was reported by 75%, which shows a statistically significant difference in income groups(P<0.05), but no difference in age and religion groups. The most common therapies use by cancer patients included traditional Korean medicine (32.1%), folk remedies (26.6%), exercise (14%), dietary supplements (11.6%), physical therapy (9.9%), diet therapy (5%), and meditation (4%). 77.8% of patients show satisfaction and 64.4% shows perceived effectiveness of CAM. Male patients with higher income, and previous treatment were more likely to use CAM. The main benefits from CAM reported by cancer patients were psychological improvement and symptom improvement. Of the cancer patients used CAM, 30.9% were dissatisfied, 25.8% did not have benefits from the use, and 7.6% experience side effects. Cancer patients who prefer CAM (more than 3 kinds) used it to cure cancer, on the contrary, the one who do not prefer CAM used to improve symptoms and psychological stability. The main sources of information about CAM were family and friends(54.4%), and media(24.5%), doctor and nurse(18.3%), and religion group(2.6%). Findings suggest that due to the relatively high use of CAM among cancer patients in Korea, this topic should be taken into account in the development of a holistic approach to cancer patients and efficient cancer patients management system and proactive and consistent management of CAM is necessary in the health care system in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.62-72
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• 2002

Purpose: This study was performed to develop a scale for evaluation of attitudes toward complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) and to investigate nurses' attitudes toward CAT. Method: The subjects were 263 nurses working at a university hospital in Seoul and Inchon. The personally designed questionnaire was tested for its reliability and validity. Nurses' attitudes to CAT were evaluated using the questionnaire. Results: Cronbach's $\alpha$ coefficient was 0.7405. 23 items were selected by item analysis and 4 factors including application, therapeutic effect, social interest and communication about CAT were classified by factor analysis. The mean score of attitudes and its subcategories were high, especially that of communication was very high. Nurses had a positive response to CAT in several items; acceptance as nursing intervention, its therapeutic value, complement for conventional medicine, and open communication about CAT. Attitudes were different significantly according to education and number of working years. There were high relationships between attitudes and its subcategories except communication. Conclusion: The Scale of attitudes toward CAT was proven to be reliable and valid. Positive nurses' attitudes toward CAT will help the patients be provided with a proper and safe way to take CAT.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.8
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• pp.313-318
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• 2016

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a phrase used to describe additional health care methods such as mind/body practices and natural products not regarded as treatments by conventional medicine. The use of CAM in children with common neurologic diseases is more frequent than its use in healthy children (24%-78% vs. 12%). However, less than half of patients report such use to their physicians. The preferred modalities of CAM vary in different countries due to their different cultures and traditions. The most common factor significantly associated with the use of CAM is parental CAM use in most studies. The frequency of the use of CAM in children and adults with neurologic diseases is similar, and both rates are higher than the rates in those without these conditions. The preferred modalities of CAM in adults are diverse, and megavitamins and mind/body therapy (prayer and chiropractic care) are included. The most common factor significantly associated with the use of CAM in adults with neurologic diseases is high educational level. Physicians need to be concerned with patients' use of CAM and provide correct information about CAM so that patients may make the right decisions. Further study is needed to determine the evidence-based efficacy of CAM use in children with common neurologic diseases.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.184-193
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• 2002

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics of the user of complementary alternative therapies(CAT) and to identify the important predictive factors associated with them. Method: This study included 142 patients attending outpatient rheumatology clinics of D Hospital in Busan between July and August in 2001. The multiple logistic regression model was developed to estimate the likelihood of user or nonuser of CAT. Result: The duration of illness and chance score of health locus of control were found to be significant factors through the estimated coefficients of using CAT. Duration of illness is longer and chance score of health locus of control is higher in patients who have used CAT in past than that of nonuser. When the model performance was evaluated by comparing the observed outcome with predicted outcome, the model correctly identified 95% of user of CAT and 31% of nonuser. Conclusion: In this survey, duration of illness and chance score of health locus of control are found to be significant factors in predicting utilization of CAT. Nurses who care for rheumatoid arthritis patients should take consideration into health locus of control in planning health education programs.