• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.265-275
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• 2021

This review investigated the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy treatment for scoliosis. There were 7 online databases used in the search from inception to March 17, 2021, for randomized controlled trials of the use of acupotomy in patients with scoliosis. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies included (n = 12). A quantitative synthesis of the randomized controlled trials was performed using RevMan Version 5.3. The effect sizes of studies were presented as mean differences for continuous outcomes and risk ratios for dichotomous outcomes, with a 95% confidence interval. As part of combined therapy, acupotomy was reported to significantly improve Cobb's angle compared with other treatments. Likewise, the Visual Analog Scale score, the Oswestry Disability Index score, and pulmonary function were also reported to be improved following acupotomy combination therapy. Although 5 studies mentioned the criteria for reporting adverse events, only 1 study reported adverse events. In conclusion, acupotomy may be an effective treatment for scoliosis. However, the small number, and heterogeneity of the included studies, as well as the poor methodological quality, indicate that higher-quality studies should be conducted to verify the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy treatment for scoliosis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2000

By process of treatment for a case which diagnosed as suppurative arthritis and admitted from the 5th, October, 1999 to the 15th, November, 1999, the results are as follows. Method & Results : In the earlier days of admission, this patient was diagnosed as damp-heat(濕熱) and medicated Cheongyeolsaseup-tang(qingrexieshi-tang). As the result, heating, pain in both knees and heating in both lmees are improved. In the later days of admission, this patient was diagnosed as impairment of the liver and kidney(肝腎虛損) and medicated Samgi-eum(sanqi-yin). As the reslut, weakness in lower limbs is improved. Conclusion : I consider that the rate of recovery for other infectious diseases including suppurative arthritis can be maximized by accumulation of clinical experiences and continuous research through both western medical treatment and oriental medical treatment.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.57-70
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to assess Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) doctors' awareness and utilization of the case report, based on the opinion that careful observation on the case sometimes provides us with the important information as clinical trial especially in the traditional medicine research field. Methods : A questionnaire study was conducted among TKM doctors who participated in the annual continuous maintenance education (CME) held at 5 regions of the Republic of Korea. Results : Almost 60% of the respondents had read case reports published in medical journals and 67% had openly shared their clinical cases with their colleagues. Of the respondents, 18.6% had been educated on reporting cases, and only 16% had the experience of reporting cases on one's own. However, 32.6% of the respondents had the intention to report cases in the future. These results show significant differences between general physicians who holds a license but no hospital training experience and board certified TKM doctors who have training experience. Conclusions : A majority of TKM doctors have read case reports but holds little experience of having been properly trained. Through this research, it has been found that awareness of case reports is rising in hospital training. Thus, the objective of case report education for TKM doctors who have hospital training experience should be set on encouraging them to do more whereas for doctors without hospital training experience, the objective should be set on making them more exposed to case reports to heighten one's awareness.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.191-201
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• 2016

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the clinical effect of Korean and Western medical treatment on a hemiplegic inpatient with central pontine myelinolysis(CPM). Methods : A patient who was diagnosed with central pontine myelinolysis(CPM) was treated with acupuncture, herbal medicine, Korean physical therapy, along with receiving continuous Western medication and rehabilitation treatment. The patient was evaluated through Manual Muscle Testing(MMT), measurement of grip strength, dysarthria, and dysuresia. The Korean and Western medical treatment was conducted for 4 weeks. Results : After the 4 weeks of Korean and Western medical treatment, MMT grade improved from 2 to 4 and grip strength improved from 6 to 13. Dysarthria and dysuresia also improved. Conclusion : According to these results, this report suggests that Korean and Western medical treatment could be effective in the treatment of central pontine myelinolysis(CPM) patients.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.15-21
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• 2003

Background : This study focuses on the new acupuncture method of embedding method which inserts a substance on the acupuncture points for continuous stimulation. Clinical applications and cautions were examined through literary investigations. Results : Based on the literary consideration of embedding method, the following results were obtained : 1. Embedding method is a combination of traditional and embedding technique to provide longer duration of stimulation on the acupuncture points. 2. To administer the embedding method, one needs to utilize a embedding thread besides acupuncture apparatus. Sheep gut is commonly used in China and the surgical thread is the choice in Korea. 3. Embedding method may vary from the patient to patient, depending on the nature and location of the illness. Piercing, embedding, and tying are some of the possibilities. 4. Embedding method may have different arrangement of threads based on the choice of usage. 5. Embedding method is effective for various chronic illnesses such as aches, functional diseases, and the diseases of internal organs. 6. When using the embedding methods, cautions against infection and side effects due to strong stimulation are mandatory.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.139-149
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• 2012

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate clinical features of the patients admitted to the department of acupuncture and moxibustion in an oriental medicine hospital in order to provide clinical preliminary data for advancement of acupuncture and moxibustion Methods : Total 526 patients were admitted to the department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Dunsan Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University from September 1st, 2011 to August 31st, 2012. Of these patients 11 were discharged on the day that they were admitted and the remaining 526 patients who were hospitalized for over 2 days were investigated this study. We analyzed inpatients by discharge progress notes and medical records, using PASW statistics 18.0 for statistical analysis. Results : 1. There were 361 females(62.9%) and 213 males(37.1%). The age distribution was skewed to 40s and 50s and the average age of the patients was 42.91 years. 2. The prevalence of the diseases groups was in the order of musculoskeletal disease, neuromuscular disease, neuro-psychological disease, and EENT disease. The musculoskeletal disease and neuromuscular disease together made up 92% of all diseases. 3. The prevalence of individual diagnosis was in the order of Bell's palsy, cervical sprain, lumbar sprain, herniated lumbar disc, herniated cervical disc, and lumbar spinal stenosis. 4. There were 261 patients with single diagnosis and 193 with two and 120 with three or more diagnoses. The days of hospitalization significantly increased with the number of diseases the patients were diagnosed with. Conclusions : With high concentration of patients seen in certain disease groups, continuous efforts needed to expand the usage of acupuncture and moxibustion treatments to other disease groups and to explore and develop other diverse treatment methods for better outcome of the disease treated.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.109-121
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• 2001

Objective : The purpose of This study is to analyze influence of functional and clinical improvement effect on temporomandibular disorders of Dong-Qi acupuncture treatment that often be used to temporomandibular disorder patients. Methods : We investigated to focus temporomandibular disorders in Jaseng oriental medicine hospital from September 8, 2000 to March 22, 2001. We compared to before and after treatment situation using temporomandibular disease & facial ache dolor pain and malignant function disorders & activation inhibition analysis from one cured Dong-Qi acupuncture treatment of outpatients-40 examples. Results : These results appeared that Sex distinction occurrence ratio was much more female than male of 1: 7. Age distinction occupied the most ratio in 20-30 generation. Jobs was mainly ranked students and companion. In cases treated before visiting our hospital, was mainly ranked our hospital first dignosis. the distribution interval of solider was mainly followed above 3 years. the distribution interval of treatment was mainly gone within 1 month and above 3 month, frequency of treatment was examined below 5 times, into 6 to 10 times, more than 11 times, respectively. Everything showed a very valuable effect except chewing and dentalgia in decrease of ache dolor pain and linkage pain related to mal-function. There are meaningful effect in Every part on Mal-function improvement. Every contents showed a very excellent effect except activation such as motivation ingestion and recreation in influence of activation. Conclusion : The above results showed a very valuable treatment effect of temporomandibular disorders on Dong-Qi acupuncture treatment. Therefore we are considered the necessity of continuous study and observation applying to other disease as well as temporomandibular disorders.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.218-237
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• 1997

In order to investigate the antihypertentive effects and its mechanism of the Siegesbeckia pubescens aqua-acupuncture treatment, experiments were performed on immediate and continuous antihypertensive effects, vasodilatation-autonomic nerve block, diuretic activity, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity. The results were as follows; 1. Acupuncture treatment group showed significantly immediate antihypertensive effects in 4 hours after treatment. Normal saline aqua-acupuncture treatment group showed significantly immediate antihypertensive effects in 2, 4 and 6 hours after treatment. Siegesbeckia pubescens aqua-acupuncture treatment group showed significantly immediate antihypertensive effects in 30 minutes, 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours after treatment. 2. Siegesbeckia pubescens aqua-acupuncture treatment group showed significantly continuous antihypertensive effects in 6, 8, 9 and 10 days after treatment. 3. Siegesbeckia pubescens aqua-acupuncture extract solution showed significantly vasodilatatory and sympathetic nerve block effects with concentration of $10^{-6},\;10^{-5},\;10^{-4},\;10^{-3}g/m{\ell}$. 4. Oral administration group of the Siegesbeckia pubescens aqua-acupuncture extract solution didn't show no significantly diuretic effects. 5. Siegesbeckia pubescens aqua-acupuncture extract solution showed 28.8% angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activity.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.43-57
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• 2010

Objectives : To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture on parameters related to obesity in adults with abdominal obesity. Methods : A three arm randomized single blind pilot study was conducted from Jan 4 to March 25, 2010 in Kyung Hee Oriental Medical Hospital. The subjects were 39 adults with abdominal obesity and were randomly divided by computer generated random table into 3 groups; EA(electroacupuncture), sham EA(sham electroacupuncture) and waitlist groups. Acupuncture points located at abdomen($CV_{12}$, $CV_6$, $ST_{25}$, $SP_{15}$, $SP_{14}$) and extremities($LI_4$, $LI_{11}$, $ST_{36}$, $ST_{44}$) were inserted by disposable stainless steel needles and were stimulated 30 minutes with 24Hz, 0.27~1.3mA(tolerable strength), asymmetric biphasic continuous pulse wave form by STN-111 Stratek device in EA group. Two treatment sessions per week for 5 weeks(10 sessions in total) were done in EA and sham EA groups. The primary outcome measurement was WC(waist circumference), and the secondary outcome measurements included WHR(waist hip ratio), ASF(thickness of abdominal subcutaneous fat), and inbody measurements of BW(body weight), BMI(body mass index), BFR(body fat ratio) and VFA(visceral fat area), and also scores of BULIT-R(bulimia test revised), KoQoL(Korean obesity of QoL) and BSQ(body shape questionnaire). Results : All of 39 subjects were included in ITT(intention-to-treat) analysis. There were significant reductions in WC, WHR and ASF after 5-week electroacupuncture treatments and the percentage reductions were significantly greater than sham EA or waitlist group. There were no significant differences between groups in percentage reductions of other parameters(BW, BMI, BFR, VFA, BULIT-R, KoQoL and BSQ). But, there were continuous reductions in BW, BMI, BFR and VFA at 3 weeks after the end of treatment and there was significant reduction in BW compared with the baseline value in EA group. No seriously adverse effects were reported during the period. Conclusions : Electroacupuncture was more effective than sham electroacupuncture or no intervention on the reduction of WC, WHR and ASF in adults with abdominal obesity.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.59-67
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• 2001

Objective: The purpose of this report is to prove the clinical effect of Platycodon grandiflorum aqueous extract on pneumoniae patients. Methods: We used the aqueous extract of Platycodon grandiflorum to treat two pneumoniae patients. It was injected into five acupuncture points, which was Chondol(天突:CV22) 1 point, Pyesu(肺兪 : BL13) 2 point, and Kworumsu(厥陰兪: BL14) 2 point. Results & conclusions: We have used the aqueous extract of 24-year-old JK for treating the patients suffering from lung diseases, and have experienced the actual effects. Of the treated, two pneumonia-involved patients showed apparent improvement in simple chest X-ray and clinical symptoms. The patients were treated with JK (Jang-saeng platycodon) aqueous extract 25 and 22 times individually. The results were as follows. 1. The symptoms including coughing, phlegm, and fever were improved in two cases. 2. The lung infiltration in simple chest X-ray decreased and the WBC count was kept within normal range in two cases. 3. Side effect such as itching was not found in the process of JK aqueous extract treatment. 4. The criteria for pneumonia are fever, coughing with purulent phlegm, pleural chest pain, the evidence of new infiltration in simple chest X-ray, sign of lung sclerosis in auscultation, increase of WBC count, etc. But they may not be the proper objective diagnostic standards. So we had trouble in statistic process and numerical interpretation. Putting these results together, the JK aqueous extract is considered to be effective in treating patients for pneumonia, and the continuous research and accumulation of data is needed.