• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.95-107
• /
• 2017

Objectives: This study was performed to review studies on Essential Tremor (ET) in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Methods: We reviewed papers in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from 2007~2016. Search keywords were 原发性震颤, 特发性震颤, essential tremor and idiopathic tremor, and excluded non-clinical studies, non-related to ET or TCM studies, theses for degrees and non-Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). The quality of the articles was assessed by Jadad scale and the Risk of Bias (RoB). Results: Thirteen studies were selected. 'Criteria for the diagnosis of ET' was most frequently used as diagnostic criteria. 'Tremor rating scale' was primarily used for outcome measurement. Meta-analysis of nine trials revealed the effective rate of acupuncture and Western medicine (WM+Acu) groups was significantly higher compared to the WM group (RR: 1.48, 95 percent CI: 1.20 to 1.82, p=0.0002, $I^2=0$ percent) and tremor rating scale was also significantly decreased in the treatment group (MD: -1.35, 95 percent CI: -2.17 to -0.54, p=0.001, $I^2=0$ percent). Also, effective rates of Electro-acupuncture (EA) and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) groups were significantly higher than that of the WM group {(RR: 1.53, 95 percent CI: 1.22 to 1.92, p=0.0003, $I^2=0$ percent) in EA vs. WM and (RR: 1.35, 95 percent CI: 1.16 to 1.57, p<0.0001, $I^2=0$ percent) in CHM vs. WM}. However, the quality of selected clinical studies was poor. Conclusions: Treatment of ET in TCM may be more effective and safe than in Western medicine. Therefore, we hope this study will lead to further clinical research on treatment of ET in Korean medicine.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.743-751
• /
• 2019

This case report suggests the potential effects of Korean medicine for the gait disturbance and posture instability of Multiple System Atrophy-Parkinsonism (MSA-P). A patient with MSA-P who had gait disturbance and posture instability was given a series of Korean medicine, including acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, electro-acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine, for 15 days of hospitalization. During the hospitalization period, the severity and progression of the disease was measured with the Unified Multiple System Atrophy Rating Scale (UMSARS) and a video recording of a 20-meter round timed walking test. The UMSARS Part I and II scores decreased from 14 to 5 and 9 to 5, respectively. An improvement was also noted in standing and walking posture, and the walking time was shortened from 30 to 25 seconds in the 20-meter round-trip walking test. Dysarthria, dysphagia, and non-motoring symptoms like sleep behavioral disorders and constipation were also improved. The findings of this case study suggest that this series of Korean medicine has potential therapeutic effects for patients with MSA-P with motor and non-motor symptoms.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.205-212
• /
• 2008

Background and purpose: So far it was reported that acupuncture increased cerebral blood supply and stimulated the functional activity of brain nerve cells. A previous study demonstrated a correlation between LI4-11 electro-acupuncture (EA) and rCBF increase in frontal lobe. However, there remained a need to study further using various controls in acupuncture research. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used as a non-invasive control in acupuncture study. This study was to evaluate the effect of LI4-LI11 TENS on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in normal volunteers using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Methods: In the resting state, $^{99m}Tc-ECD$ brain SPECT scans were performed on 10 normal volunteers (9 males, 1 female, mean age 26.6$\pm$0.5 years; age range from 26 to 27 years). On the other day, 7 days after the resting examination, 15 minute TENS were applied at LI 4 and LI 11 on the right side of the subjects. Immediately after LI4-LI11 TENS, the second SPECT images were obtained in the same manner as the resting state. Significant increases and decreases of regional cerebral blood flow after LI4-LI11 TENS were estimated by comparing their SPECT images with those of the resting state using paired t statistics at every voxel, which were analyzed by statistical parametric mapping with a threshold of p = 0.001, uncorrected (extent threshold: k=100 voxels). Results: TENS applied at right LI4-LI11 increased rCBF in the left somatosensory association cortex (Brodmann area 5, 7). However there was no area where LI4-11 TENS decreased rCBF. Conclusion and suggestions: These results demonstrate that right LI4-LI11 TENS increased rCBF only in corresponding somatosensory association cortex, which was different from the previous results using LI4-11 EA. It is suggested that there be a different mechanism between TENS and EA.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.327-337
• /
• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to report the clinical effect of short- term admission program on primary palmar/plantar hyperhidrosis in children and adolescents. Methods : Between January 2011 and January 2012, a total of 11 patients with clinical diagnosis of primary palmar/plantar hyperhidrosis were treated with hospitalization which consisted of iontophoresis, electro-acupuncture, herbal medicine, topical therapy and physical therapy. The effects were evaluated as quality of life with dermatology life quality index (DLQI), severity of discomfort using visual analogue scale (VAS), and the patients' subjective satisfaction. We analyzed the patients' improvement before and after admission treatment, as well as six month later. Results : After treatment, the 11 patients' quality of life and severity of discomfort improved significantly. They also were satisfied with oriental treatments for hyper hidrosis. Six months later, 6 of 11 patients had visited the hyperhidrosis clinic. Their symptoms had improved and remained stable. Conclusions : The short-term admission program is effective on primary palmar/plantar hyperhidrosis. Further studies with a larger number of cases will be needed in the future.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.136-142
• /
• 2010

This study aims to reveal how EA affects BAX and NF-kB involved in cell deaths from global ischemia, and to do this, observes the changes of BAX and NF-kB caused by EA application after transient global ischemia. The experimental method is to give rise to global ischemia and apply EA to 27 SD rats with the particulars of being six-week-old, male, around-300 gram-weighing, and adapted to laboratory environment for more than a week, and divide them into three groups, that is, GV20 EA group(n=9), L14 EA group(n=9), no-treatment GI group(n=9), and then observe their changes of BAX and NF-kB at the time lapse of 6 hours, 9 hours and 12 hours after ischemia, using western blotting. The numerical decrease of BAX expression at the time lapse of 9 hours after EA application, though not statistically significant, was observed in GV20 EA group and L14 EA group, and the NF-kB expression appeared statistically significant decrease in GV20 EA group and L14 EA group, but the expression was higher in the group with EA application. Therefore, EA application at the early phase of global ischemia is considered to affect BAX and NF-kB and play a positive role in decreasing apoptosis and cell deaths by inflammation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.1014-1020
• /
• 2006

This study was intended to examine the effects of electroacupuncture(EA) and therapeutic exercise on the improvement of exercise function, BNDF, and HSP70 protein expression in an ischemic stroke model induced by MCA occlusion. Experiments were conducted for 1, 3 days, 1, 8 weeks respectively. Group I was a group of EA and therapeutic exercise; Group II was a group of therapeutic exercise; Group III was a group of EA; Group IV was a sham group of EA; Group V was a control group; and Group VI was a sham group without ischemic stroke. In each group, neurologic motor behavior test, histologic observations, BDNF, and HSP70 expression were observed and analyzed. The following results were obtained. The results of behavior test suggest that 8 weeks after ischemic stroke was induced, Group I improved in degeneration and inflammation of muscle fiber and decreased in destruction of nerve cells and cerebral infarction, indicating a similar state of muscle fiber and brain to Group VI. In immunohistochemical observations, Group I showed increase in BDNF and decrease in HSP70. Based on these results, EA and therapeutic exercise may improve muscle atrophy and change in BDNF and HSP70 expression of ischemic stroke rats and contribute to the improvement of exercise function.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2021

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chuna manual therapy (CMT) for postpartum low back pain using a systematic review. Methods We performed a literature search using 12 electronic databases up to the end of September 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effect of CMT in the treatment of postpartum low back pain. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Results Four randomized controlled trials were reported statistically significant effect in pain VAS, ODI and JOA of chuna manual therapy compared with moxibution, electro acupuncture, hyperthermia or usual care. As a result of assessing the risk of bias tool, most of the contents of the evaluation items were not identified, so it was evaluated as an uncertain risk. Conclusions CMT may be effective in treating postpartum low back pain. However, evidence was limited due to the small sample size, lack of well-designed RCTs and regional bias. Further well-designed studies are required to obtain stronger evidence.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.90-108
• /
• 2016

Objectives: This study aimed to learn what should be considered in the Guidelines of Clinical Trials with Herbal Medicinal Products for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) by analyzing the existing guidelines and clinical trials.Methods: The development committee searched the existing guidelines for herbal medicinal products or GERD. Then, clinical trials related to GERD using herbal medicine were selected. The chosen trials were analyzed in terms of their inclusion and exclusion of participants, intervention, comparators, outcome, and trial design. Then, we compared the results of the analysis according to the regulations and guidelines of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to suggest the issues that we will have to consider when developing the Guidelines of Clinical Trials with Herbal Medicinal Products for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).Results: As a result, few guidelines for GERD and clinical trials with herbal medicinal products were located in the national institution homepage. In addition, 8 articles were found using the following combination of search terms: “Gastroesophageal reflux disease”, “GERD”, “herbal medicine”, “herbal therapy”, “Korean Medicine”, “Traditional Chinese Medicine”, and “TCM”. Even though all trials had their own unique research questions, all studies were performed using a randomization method. Most trials included participants with reflux esophagitis, but two trials targeted proton pump inhibitor-refractory GERD. The type of intervention varied, such as decoction, granules, and capsules. Additionally, individualized herbal medicines were used in two studies. Comparators were diverse, such as placebo, Western medicine, and electro-acupuncture. The most frequently used outcome for efficacy was the effectiveness rate. In addition, the outcome for evaluating quality of life, esophageal mucosa and pressure, esophageal acid reflux, and recurrence rates were used. Safety was investigated by recording adverse events and carrying out laboratory tests.Conclusions: We identified some issues by reviewing the existing guidelines and comparing them with clinical trials for GERD and herbal medicinal products. These results will be utilized for developing the Guidelines of Clinical Trials with Herbal Medicinal Products for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2009

Experimental induction of polycystic ovary (PCO) resembling some aspects of human PCO syndrome was produced using the long-acting compound estradiol valerate (EV). Our previous study on the role of Korean red ginseng total saponins (GTS) in a steroid-induced PCO rat model demonstrated that electro-acupuncture modulates nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in the ovaries. In fact, the involvement of a neurogenic component in the pathology of PCO-related ovarian dysfunction is preceded by an increase in sympathetic outflow to the ovaries. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that therapeutic GTS administration modulates sympathetic nerve activity in rats with PCO. This was done by analyzing NGF protein and NGF mRNA expression involved in the pathophysiological process underlying steroid-induced PCO. EV injection resulted in significantly higher ovarian NGF mRNA expression in PCO rats compared to control rats, and PCO ovaries were counteracted by GTS administration with significantly lower expression of NGF mRNA compared to EV treated ovaries. However, NGF protein was unaffected in both EV and GTS treated ovaries compared to control rats. These results indicate that EV modulates the neurotrophic state of the ovaries, which may be a component of the pathological process by which EV induces cyst formation and anovulation in rodents.