• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.73-82
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• 2013

Objectives The purpose of this review is to investigate studies of Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture and the evidence of it's effects in order to suggest a better research method in the future. Methods We retrieved numbers of clinical studies about Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture from 7 Korean web databases, using key words such as 'Scolopendrid', 'Scolopendrid AND Pharmacopuncture'. This study had been conducted from 1st May 2013 to 31th July 2013. Controlled studies and case studies were only used for this study. Clinical studies that we picked from the databases were classified according to the diseases that those studies are about, and from these clinical studies, we are to research what has to be improved generally in clinical researches. Results 18 case studies, 4 controlled studies had been under research. Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture has a therapeutic effect mainly in musculoskeletal and neurological diseases such as herniated intervertebral disc, carpal tunnel syndrome, swollen leg, feeling of cold on legs, wrist ganglion, lateral epicondylitis, radial nerve palsy, cervical myelopathy, cauda equina syndrome, postauricular pain; as an early symptom of Bell's palsy, pain of popliteal part, gout, plantar fasciitis, cellulitis, frozen shoulder, pain of hip adductors. However objectivity and reliability of the Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture studies still remains controversial. Conclusions It has been suggested that there are positive effects of Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture therapy in treating specific diseases (especially neuromusculoskeletal diseases). However, this narrative review can't conclude and prove that the Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture has positive effectiveness on these diseases unlike systematic review. So, in order to put Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture therapy to use for many kinds of diseases in more reasonable ways, it is essential to build well-designed clinical research tools. In the future, abundant case studies, more follow-up trials and randomized controlled trials based on the korean medicine should be done to use Scolopendrid pharmacopuncture for a clinical purpose.