• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2023

A 53-year-old woman with right shoulder pain after falling down presented at our outpatient department after conventional treatment that had little effect. She was treated with integrative Korean Medicine treatment as an outpatient from February 2, 2022 to July 4, 2022. Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings, the patient was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff tear. With 39 treatment sessions, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score decreased and showed improvement in assessment. On May 6, MRI was retaken to show restoration of the supraspinatus tendon tear. The patient felt almost no pain on July 4, declaring the end of treatment. This successful case suggests that integrative Korean Medicine treatment might be an attractive alternative for severe rotator cuff tears.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.578-584
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• 2023

Objectives: This is a five-year survival and complete response (CR) report on rectal cancer treated with western medicine and Korean traditional medicine. Method: A 25-year-old woman diagnosed with rectal cancer visited ⃝⃝ Korean traditional medicine hospital after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy, chemotherapy, and low anterior resection with regional lymph node dissection. She was treated with Korean traditional medicine, including acupuncture, abdominal moxibustion, wild ginseng pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine, which was based on integrated medicine therapy (IMT), from January 2018 to February 2022. The tumor size was measured by scanning with computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and positron-emission tomography/CT. Adverse events were evaluated using laboratory conclusion and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Result: During four years of treatment, IMT maintained safety. The patient finally reached five-year survival without any recurrence or complication (CR) on March 11, 2022. Conclusion: We suggest that an integrative approach including Korean traditional medicine can be a meaningful treatment option for rectal cancer. Further studies should be performed to establish the proper treatment protocol of integrative medicine for rectal cancer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.26-46
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to present the clinical guidelines and traditional Korean medicines for gastric cancer.Results: Gastric cancer is the second most common cancer in Korea. Recent studies have reported that applying integrative Oriental and Western medicine can suppress the tumor, improve the survival, the immune system, and the quality of life in gastric cancer. However, there still is no unified protocol for gastric cancer treatment, which produces difficulty in clinical applications. In Korea, a “Synopsis on the Clinical Practice Guidelines of Gastric Cancer” was published by the Korean Journal of Gastroenterology in 2014. In China, Oriental medicine clinical practice guidelines were published for the first time in 2014. The present author proposed “Clinical Practice Guidelines of Korean Medicine for Gastric Cancer” in 2014, but there is a need for more advanced guidelines with reference to the aforementioned Oriental and Western guidelines. This study will be helpful for understanding and building systems for integrative gastric cancer treatment.Conclusions: Further studies on integrative gastric cancer treatment are needed to improve the survival of gastric cancer patients and build the clinical practice guidelines for gastric cancer.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2022

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is common in elderly people and severe CSM patients are recommended to receive surgery. However, in some cases, surgery may fail to improve the patients' symptoms. An 80-year-old man diagnosed with CSM complained of right hemiplegia and right arm and leg pain with the presence of a Foley catheter, despite treatment with laminectomy and laminoplasty. Acupuncture, bee venom pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine were administered for 129 days. As a result, manual muscle testing (MMT) and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) improved, the pain in his right arm and leg decreased, and he was able to urinate by himself. This case report implies that integrative Korean medicine (IKM) can be an option for patients suffering from muscular weakness resulting from myelopathy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.177-182
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• 2018

Background: Breast cancer is a treatable disease, but some women reject conventional treatment in favor of unproven "alternative therapies," which may have serious implications for their survival. Therefore, a process is needed to lead them to more appropriate treatment choices. Case presentation: Here, we present the case of a 51-year-old Korean female diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer (stage IIB, T2N1M0) in Nov. 2015. She refused a standard surgical resection together with chemotherapy and opted instead for moxibustion by nonmedical personnel. Consequently, her preference for alternative therapy without conventional treatment exacerbated her disease. Just a little over a year later, integrative cancer treatment, including chemotherapy based on histological founding, and complementary treatment, comprised of acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine, were administered for 5 months. Finally, she successfully underwent modified radical mastectomy showing a pathological complete response. She received only adjuvant chemotherapy without any alternative medicine afterwards, and she maintained a good status without recurrence. Conclusion: In the case of breast cancer patients who are resistant to surgery and chemotherapy, integrative therapy considering adverse effects from conventional treatment should be preferred to bitter opposition to alternative medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.49-60
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• 2023

Objectives: To explore the impacts of home-based integrative Korean medicine program, on pain, quality of life (QOL), and satisfaction among elderly female residents with mobility impairment in rural areas during the period from August 2021 to November 2022. Methods: Five participants with mobility impairment in rural area were selected from Health Department of Public Health Center. We conducted an investigation into the variations in NRS (Numerical Rating Scale) scores, changes in quality of life (QOL), and levels of satisfaction resulting from a combination of acupuncture, counseling, and the provision of medical supplies. Results: Participants reported improvements in Overall pain and Quality of life. Satisfaction levels reported high. Conclusions: Home-based integrative Korean medicine program showed possibility of improvements for the elderly women with mobility impairment in rural areas in terms of pain, quality of life. In pursuit of improved management, it is advisable to contemplate the adoption of a fresh treatment approach.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.379-387
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• 2023

Dog owners seek treatment when their pets develop cancer. IMMUNIES is traditional herbal medicine-based figment made of 10 natural herbs, designed to maintain host immune function. The major component of IMMUNIES is Dendropanax morbiferus. This clinical pilot study monitored the toxicity and efficacy of IMMUNIES. Four senile dogs with spontaneously occurring mammary and liver cancers were enrolled in this study and treated orally daily for 3 months, and their blood/urine biochemical profiles were examined each month. IMMUNIES was well tolerated during the treatment period. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and C-reactive protein levels decreased in all four dogs, whereas red blood cells and hematocrit were within the normal range. IMMUNIES also changed the expression of several molecular targets in the anticancer pathway, such as pro-NAG-1, p53, and cyclin D1. Although the tumors did not completely respond to IMMUNIES, the biochemical profiles and clinical examination showed a stabilized cancer status for 3 months. Thus, IMMUNIES was found to be safe and well-tolerated in the dosage range tested and exhibited cancer antiproliferative activity in canine cancer. Future studies should address other potential benefits of IMMUNIES, including correlative assessments of immune function, quality of life, and owner satisfaction.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.239-253
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• 2018

Objectives: This is one of the manuals of East-West integrative medicine, which was created by the Committee on integrative medicine of Chung-Yeon Korean Medicine Hospital. To support clinical decision making and communication in the East-West cooperative treatment of mild cognitive impairment. Methods: Drafting was based on literature review from the MEDLINE, EMBASE, OASIS, and CNKI databases using search terms such as 'mild cognitive impairment', 'mild neurocognitive disorder', 'acupuncture', 'herbal medicine' and 'traditional Chinese medicine'. An amendment reflecting the goal of consultation and detailed treatment contents was made by reviewing the draft and holding discussion with the rehabilitation specialist of western medicine. The committee then agreed to adopt the manual through the process of review and feedback in addition to face-to-face discussions. Results: This manual contains the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, the goal of consultation, and the cooperative treatment contents of the East-West medicine for mild cognitive impairment. Conclusions: This manual provides significant information about the decision making process and contents of treatment in one medical institution for East-West cooperative treatment of mild cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of integrative Korean medicine on acute postoperative pain after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Methods This study was conducted in a retrospective observational way. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into integrative Korean medicine-treated group (IKM group) and no integrative Korean medicine treated-group (No IKM group). The primary outcome was the difference in the amount of change in pain intensity. The secondary outcome was the difference in pain intensity, opioid consumption over time, and the number of adverse events after surgery. Results The change of numerical rating scale for pain intensity from baseline to IKM group was 3.09±2.12, while 2.64±1.80 in no IKM group, and the difference of change between two groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). Difference in the use of opioid between two groups over time after surgery was also statistically significant (p=0.000). Conclusions The results of this study suggest that integrative Korean medicine can be effective for acute postoperative pain after arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.895-903
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• 2018

Objectives: This study reports on the efficacy of using integrative Korean medical treatments for Type 1 complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Methods: A 48-year-old female patient with Type 1 R/O CRPS was treated with herbal medicines, acupuncture, and pharmacopuncture for 38 days. The chief complaints were severe burning pain, general weakness, sleep disorder, and aggressive and depressed mood. The treatment effect was evaluated by measuring the numerical rating scale (NRS) of pain, improvement of the quality of sleep, and change in mood status. Results: After the hospital treatment, the patient's pain was controlled and the NRS score was decreased. Sleep and mood disorder also improved. Conclusions: The integrative Korean medical treatments appeared to be effective in reducing Type 1 CRPS symptoms. Further clinical research of patients with CRPS is needed.