• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1300-1306
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• 2020

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical effects of complex Korean medicine therapy for tinnitus associated with ear fullness, depression, and anxiety. Case Report: A 52-year-old female patient suffering from tinnitus with ear fullness, depression, and anxiety was treated with acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine. We used the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and a Verbal Numerical Rating Score (VNRS) to assess the patient's symptoms. The administration of the acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine improved the ear fullness, depression and anxiety symptoms. No side effects were observed during the treatment. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that complex Korean medicine therapy, such as acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine, may be effective for the treatment of tinnitus associated with ear fullness, depression, and anxiety.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.157-168
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• 2020

The number of disasters caused by natural or human-made events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, typhoons, industrial disasters, and the recent outbreak of COVID-19 has increased and the damage caused by such disasters is increasing every year. Disasters can cause physical destruction and also have unexpected psychological impacts, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ear acupuncture is a treatment modality that can be helpful for both physical and mental health problems. Since ear acupuncture is a cost-effective, flexible, and safe treatment tool, it has the potential to provide medical assistance in disasters. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) auricular acupuncture protocol, originally developed for addiction treatment, has been used for mental illness and behavioral symptoms in both community health settings and in a variety of disaster, terror, and refugee settings. In this review, we introduced the NADA protocol, including its history, features, training, clinical evidence, and cases in disaster settings, suggesting that the NADA protocol could be utilized as a disaster medical support model in Korean medicine.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2000

Chronic headache is one of the most common symptoms of outpatients. There are many approaches to treat chronic headache, but it is difficult to be resolved completely. So analgesics-addicted patients are increased in numbers. Acupuncture and ear-acupuncture have been used for relief headache. But it is not sufficient to compare the effect of acupuncture on several chronic headache groups. Thus we investigate the effect of acupuncture and ear-acupuncture on several chronic headache groups and analgesics-abused groups. We researched 36 patients who were treated at Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Kyung Hee Medical Center from August 1998 to July 1999. The chronic headache patients were classified into tension-type headache group, migraine group and unclassified headache group by Guide of IHS. Each group was treated with acupuncture and ear-acupuncture. The effect was assessed through questionnaires and self-rating headache index.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.35 no.12B
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• pp.1192-1198
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• 2010

As indicators of life quality have recently shown great improvement, alternative medicine is becoming a mainstream health care pattern, in which early stage medical examinations and treatments are usually preformed before diseases occur. In this context, the ear-acupuncture method is increasingly used these day as one of important alternative medicine treatments. In this paper, we performed an experiment of facial region color analysis with kidney ear acupuncture point irritation. For this, we collected facial image samples before and after kidney ear acupuncture point irritation under the same condition. From the samples, the change rates of K, L values of CMYK color system and Lab color system, respectively, on kidney related facial parts were extracted and analyzed to investigate kidney function improvement.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.219-234
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• 2021

Objectives: The objective of this study was to review and analyze domestic research trends of ear acupuncture and ear acupressure (EAs) in elderly population. Methods: We searched five domestic databases to collect relevant original clinical studies up to July 2, 2021. Conditions of elderly participants and results reported in included studies were analyzed. Methods of EAs used were analyzed referring to STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture. Results: A total of 17 studies including nine randomized controlled trials were analyzed. As for the target condition, sleep disorder was the most common (n=9), followed by pain condition (n=6). There were three studies on participants with specific Sasang constitution. Procedures of EAs used in nursing studies were generally similar to those of Korean medicine (KM). Conclusions: Domestic studies have reported that EAs might be helpful in improving the health of the elderly. In the future, more research studies using EAs for the elderly are needed in KM field. Collaborative research with KM nurses is recommended. EAs should be further investigated as a promising KM intervention in terms of health and welfare for the elderly.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.97-103
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• 2003

Objective : Auricular acupuncture is a method of treatment that involves needling the ear in order to produce relief of symptoms. This concept was first developed by P.Nogier, french doctor and referred to as somatotopic representation. Many authors have commented the fact that the vagus nerve supplies the external auditory and the concha. The aim of this randomised, single blind study was to investigate whether auricular acupuncture of the ear produced changes in the pulse rate, an indicator of vagal tone. Methods: 10 healthy man volunteers were divided into normal and epinephrine stimulation group. Then each group was divided into vagus area acupuncture and control area acupuncture group again. Epinephrine stimulation group was injected by epinephrine 0.3cc twice, first. All of them were needled in either the vagus area or control area of the ear, and pulse rate changes were measured by patient monitor over 1 hour. Results : In the epinephrine stimulation group, there was significant differences in the pulse rate change between vagus area acupuncture and control area acupuncture group. After injection of epinephrine, the basal pulse rate was increased 1.3~1.4 times in the control group. However, in the vagus area acupuncture group the basal pulse rate was increased only 1.1~1.2 times.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.73-83
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of this study was to show the rationale of point-selection on the methods of acupuncture and moxibustion in the Ear Section (in the Oehyeong Chapter) of the Dong Ui Bo Gam. Methods : First, We summarized the cause of each disease in the Ear Section (in the Oehyeong Chapter) of the Dong Ui Bo Gam. Then, We explained the rationale of acupoint-selection referring to the cause of disease, physiology of the Oriental medicine, other uses of each acupoints in the Dong Ui Bo Gam, character of each acupuncture points, flow of meridian pathways and specific acupoints etc. Results and Conclusions : Total 23 acupoints were used in the Ear Section (in the Oehyeong Chapter) of the Dong Ui Bo Gam. Most of acupoints were specific acupuncture points. But, some rationale of acupoint-selection were explained by the cause of disease, physiology of the Oriental medicine, other uses of each acupoints in the Dong Ui Bo Gam, flow of meridian pathways etc.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.125-131
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• 2014

We researched two patients with ear fullness after traffic accident. We diagnosed the patients' symptom as referred pain caused by clavicle branch of sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. So, acupunture therapy and SCENAR therapy were used to treat the patients. We measured their discomfort by visual anlog scale (VAS) before and after treatment. As a result, the patients improved remarkably and VAS score was declined sharply when we applied acupuncture therapy and SCENAR therapy on clavicle branch of SCM. Therefore, we are certain that ear fullness can be caused by clavicle branch of SCM after traffic accident. It shows dramatical and satisfactory progress by acupuncture therapy and SCENAR therapy to relax shortening of clavicle branch of SCM.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.81-88
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• 2009

Objective : This study was to report Bell's palsy patients with severe pain back of the ear treated by Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy. Methods : The patients was treated by Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy to relieve the severe pain back of the ear. Visual Analog Scale(VAS) was used as an outcome measurement. Results : After Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy, VAS were decreased at all case. Conclusion : Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture therapy can be available for relieving severe pain back of the ear even inducing insomnia.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.76-82
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• 2023

Objectives : This study is to report the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media with Bojungikgi-tang and acupuncture without western medicine. Methods : A 57-year-old female patient visited my korean medical clinic on November 19, 2019 with complaints of ear fullness and yellowish effusion in the left ear. The patient had perforated eardrum with yellowish effusion. For the first month she took Bojungikgi-tang 3 times a day and received acupuncture 5-6 days a week without western treatment. The next month, only acupuncture treatment was performed twice a week. The condition of the eardrum and otorrhea was observed through an otoscope, and the degree of ear fullness and head heaviness were evaluated by visual analogue scale. Results : During the treatment, the eardrum was reperforated once, but it was regenerated, the otorrhea disappeared, and all other symptoms improved. Afterwards, it was confirmed through follow-up that the eardrum was maintained in a regenerated state. Conclusions : These results show that the combined treatment of herbal medicine and acupuncture is effective for chronic suppurative otitis media.