• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.15-29
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• 2000

Low back pain is generally defined as a complex symptom rather than a specific diseases entity, especially when musculoskeletal lesions of the low back, neurogenic, vasculogenic and discogenic lesions are present. Sixty to eighty percent of all human being have experienced low back pain once or more times during in their lifetime. Low back pain is a one of the commonest cause of physical impairment and induces disability the activities of everyday living or the activities of work. Today, low back pain plays important part for the loss of working capability from social, industrial field and individual daily life. But there are no study about incidence and prevention program of low back pain in rural peoples. This study was conducted to find out current status and characteristics related to low back pain in rural peoples(especially engaged in agriculture), so that could provide basic data to establish prevention program for them. The data were gathered from 301 rural adults(female 62.1%, male 37.9%) with low back pain by the structured interview in the 4 communities(south and north Gyeong-sang Do and Chung-cheong Do), and sampled at local hospital, local clinic, and health clinic center in May, 2000. The results were as followed. About one third of cases(35.5%) were aged from 60 to 69, 34.6% were smoker, and 91.4% not used to regular exercise. Low back pain frequently due to intervertebral articulopathy(42.5%), follewed by herniated intervertebral disk(19.9%), sprain(17.3%), vertebral dislocation(4.0%), and etc(16.2%). Above half of cases(56.5%) were a eight-hour workday, and 61.8% complained of low back pain during work. Mostly, period of agricultural experience was more than 20 years, and cultivated more than 2 crops. Low back pain is common to rural adults, therefore adequate resting time from work and lumbar strengthening exercise program needed to prevent low back pain in rural peoples.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.252-264
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• 2023

Background: The primary aim of this study is to statistically analyze and compare the difference in treatment outcomes based on the frequency and duration of acupotomy treatment for lumbar disk herniation. Methods: The evaluation of efficacy and safety involved using visual analog scale (VAS), numeric rating scale (NRS), Roland Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ), EuroQol 5-dimention (EQ-5D), and similar parameters. This was achieved through the establishment of a comparable cohort using propensity score matching. Group A comprised 46 patients who underwent 4 sessions of acupotomy treatment for 2 weeks, while Group B consisted of 15 patients who received 6 acupotomy sessions for 3 weeks. Results: For Group A, the average amount of change in VAS values at weeks 4 and 6 was significantly decreased. However, the average amount of change in RMDQ values was not significant. Notably, the average amount of change of EQ-5D values at week 6 increased significantly. As for Group B, the average amount of change of NRS values in weeks 2 and 3 was significantly decreased. Conversely, the average amount of change in RMDQ and EQ-5D values was not significant. In comparing the 2 groups at the final follow-up, the average amount of change in all evaluation values was not significant. Further, no significant interaction effect was observed in the changes over time in all evaluation values between the 2 groups. Conclusion: This study establishes that there was no statistically significant difference in pain reduction, functional impairment, and quality of life improvement between 2 group.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.184-191
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• 2019

Objectives: Recently several Korean medical doctors have begun practicing applied kinesiology (AK). Although the efficacy of combining traditional acupuncture (TA) and pharmacopuncture (PP) on lumbar diseases such as lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and lumbar herniation of intervertebral disk (LHID) has been examined, the possible benefits of combining TA, PP and AK approaches have not been examined. Therefore the aim of this study was to develop effective treatment for lumbar disorders by combining TA, PP, and AK treatments. Methods: Twenty-four patients hospitalized at Samse Korean Traditional Medicine Hospital between March and September 2018 with L5 or S1 root radiculopathy associated with LSS and LHID were included in this study. They were treated for 10 days with TA, PP and AK approaches that included category block, manipulation and strain/counterstrain treatments. The primary outcomes were mainly assessed using Japanese Orthopedic Association lumbar scores (JOALS). JOALS were determined before the start of treatment as well as five and 10 days after treatment started. Results: The treatments improved the lumbar condition of the patients based on JOA pain score. Conclusion: The combined TA, PP and AK treatments were effective in treating spinal diseases of resident patients. Prospective, controlled, and relevant protocols using multimodal strategies to define the role of TA, PP and AK are needed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.212-216
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• 2011

Objective : It is well known that plate-to-disc distance (POD) is closely related to adjacent-level ossification following anterior cervical plate placement. The study was undertaken to compare the outcomes of two different anterior cervical plating methods for degenerative cervical condition. Specifically, the new method involves making holes for plate screws first with an air drill and then choosing a plate size. The other method was standard, that is, decide on the plate size first, locate the plate on the anterior vertebral body, and then drilling the screw holes. Our hypothesis was that the new technical tip may increase POD as compared with the standard anterior cervical plating procedure. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 49 patients who had a solid fusion after anterior cervical arthrodesis with a plate for the treatment of cervical disc degeneration. Twenty-three patients underwent the new anterior cervical plating technique (Group A) and 26 patients underwent the standard technique (Group B). POD and ratios between POD to anterior body heights (ABH) were measured using postoperative lateral radiographs. In addition, operating times and clinical results were reviewed in all cases. Results : The mean durations of follow-up were $16.42{\pm}5.99$ (Group A) and $19.83{\pm}6.71$ (Group B) months, range 12 to 35 months. Of these parameters mentioned above, cephalad POD (5.43 versus 3.46 mm, p=0.005) and cephalad POD/ABH (0.36 versus 0.23, p=0.004) were significantly greater in the Group A, whereas operation time for two segment arthrodesis (141.9 versus 170.6 minutes, p=0.047) was significantly lower in the Group A. There were no significant difference between the two groups in caudal POD (5.92 versus 5.06 mm), caudal POO/ABH (0.37 versus 0.32) and clinical results. Conclusion : The new anterior cervical plating method represents an improvement over the standard method in terms of cephalad plate-to-disc distance and operating time.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2014

Patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) are predisposed to develop central nervous system tumors, due to the loss of neurofibromin, an inactivator of proto-oncogene Ras. However, to our knowledge, only three cases of ependymomas with NF1 have been reported in the literature. The authors present a case of NF1 patient with a spinal cord ependymoma. She was referred for about half a year history of increasing numbness that progressed from her fingers to her entire body above the bellybutton. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a relative-demarcated, heterogeneously enhanced mass lesion accompanied by perifocal edema in C5-7 level, a left-sided T11 spinous process heterogeneously enhanced mass in soft tissue, intervertebral disk hernia in L2-5 level, and widespread punctum enhancing lesion in her scalp and in T11-L5 level. The patient underwent C5-7 laminectomies and total excision of the tumor under operative microscope, and intraoperative ultrasonography and physiological monitoring were used during the surgery. Histopathologically, her tumor was found to be a ependymoma without malignant features (grade II in the World Health Organization classification). Therefore, no adjuvant therapy was applied. Following the operation, the patient showed an uneventful clinical recovery with no evidence of tumor recurrence after one year of follow-up.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.350-353
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• 2014

A 13-year-old, castrated male, Shih Tzu dog with a history of acute ataxia was referred to veterinary medical teaching hospital and anesthetized for diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging of cervical intervertebral disk disease. After preanesthetic evaluation including physical examination, blood chemistry, radiography and ultrasound, the patient was premedicated with intravenous butorphanol (0.2 mg/kg). Anesthesia was induced by intravenous propofol (6 mg/kg) and maintained with isoflurane at 1.2 minimal alveolar concentrations. Because the mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased from 70 to 58 mmHg at 70 minutes after induction, dobutamine was administered by constant rate infusion ($5{\mu}g/kg/min$) to treat hypotension. However MAP did not increase, and heart rate rapidly decreased from 100 to 55 beats per minute (bpm). To treat bradycardia, intravenous glycopyrrolate ($5{\mu}g/kg$) was administered, and heart rate increased to 165 bpm. After extubation of endotracheal tube, the patient showed normal recovery without any problems related to cardiovascular system. Unexpected dobutamine-induced bradycardia was considered as Bezold-Jarisch reflex. It is recommended that clinicians know and prepare the possibility of bradycardia during dobutamine therapy under general anesthesia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.94-101
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• 2020

Background: Several Korean medical doctors have been practicing applied kinesiology (AK), invented in 1964 by Dr. George J Goodheart, USA. Although the efficacy of traditional acupuncture (TA) and pharmacopucture treatment for lumbar conditions/diseases has been examined, the possible benefits of combining TA and AK have not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to report the effects of combining TA and AK treatment for lumbar disorders using the Japanese Orthopedic Association lumbar score (JOALS) assessment. Methods: There were 21 outpatients treated at Samse Korean Traditional Hospital between March 2018 and September 2018, who presented with L4/L5 or L5/S1 root radiculopathy associated with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and lumbar herniation of intervertebral disk (LHID). They were treated 10×(2 sessions per week, for 5 weeks) with TA and AK approaches that included a category block, manipulation or strain/counterstrain treatments. The primary outcome was mainly assessed using the JOALS score which was used before (0 ×), during (5 ×), and after treatment (10 ×). Results: There were 19 patients diagnosed with LSS and 2 were diagnosed with LHID. Using the JOALS assessment, TA and AK combined approaches improved the lumbar conditions of all 21 patients after 5 × treatmentsand continued to improve after 10 × treatments (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Combined TA and AK treatment was effective in treating spinal conditions/diseases. Prospective, relevant, well-controlled protocols for TA and AK therapies for various conditions are needed.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.677-683
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• 2001

The object of this study is in the comparison of level of depression between patients with chronic low back pain & normal adult, of the relation between reduction of pain & level of depression and in the examination of the influence of traditional physical therapy against the reduction of pain & level of depression of the patients with chronic low back pain for the new recognition of psychological factors to the physical therapists as well as patients. This study was targeted for 40 patients with chronic low back pain who were diagnosed as lumbar sprain & herniated intervertebral disk and compared & analyzed how traditional physical therapy has an influence to their reduction of pain and level of depression by questioning with visual an analog scale of Beck's depression inventory & pain inventory to them. The results are as follows. 1. Traditional physical therapy has an effect in the reduction of pain of the patients with chronic low back pain. 2. Although traditional physical therapy relieved a little the level of depression of patients with chronic low back pain. there was no evident effect statistically. 3. In the relation between the reduction of pain and level of depression, level of depression also showed somewhat relief according to the reduction of pain and appeared that they have some relationship. However, it's degree was not big. 4. In the comparison of the level of depression between the normal adult and the patient with chronic low back pain, the level of depression of the patient with low back pain are high rather than that of normal adult.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.155-163
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• 2005

Objectives : This is a clinical report about neurogenic bladder patient with lumbar disc hernication. Neurogenic bladder is a dysfunction that results from interference with the normal nerve pathways associated with urination. Hypotonic (flaccid) neurogenic bladder can be caused by ruptured or herniated intervertebral disk. Methods : The patient was treated by Oriental medicine treatment with needle acupuncture, electropuncture, bee venom acua-acupuncture and Daeboonchungeum-gami etc. Voided volume and frequency, visual analogue scale and physical examination was used to estimate the efficacy of these treatment. Results : STZ As using these treatments, voided volume and frequency returns normal condition. Visual analogue scale dips as low as 2. Physical examination showed improvement as compared with the fist visit. And further, these treatment may influence on the recovery of neurogenic bladder patient with lumbar disc herniation. Conclusion : The results suggest that Oriental medicine treatment have an useful effect on neurogenic bladder patient's treatment and recovery.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.114-117
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• 2017

A 42-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with complaints of low back pain and intermittent right thigh pain. Twelve weeks before admission, the patient received intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) at a local hospital. The patient still reported low back pain after the procedure that was managed with narcotic analgesics. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, and his referring physician thought the likely diagnosis was spondylodiscitis at the L4-5 spinal segment with a small epidural abscess. At admission to our department, the patient reported aggravated low back pain. Blood test results, including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels, were slightly elevated. Biopsy samples of the L4, L5 vertebral bodies and disk were obtained. The material underwent aerobic, anaerobic, fungal, mycobacterial cultures and histologic examination. Results of all cultures were negative. Histologically, necrosis of the bone was evident from the number of empty osteocyte lacunae. In addition, there was no evidence of infection based on biopsy results. No antibiotic treatment was administered on discharge. Repeat computed tomography and MRI performed 12 months after IDET showed a bony defect in the L4 and L5 vertebral bodies, and a decrease in the size of the L4-5 intervertebral disc lesion. We report a case of lumbar vertebral osteonecrosis induced by IDET and discuss etiology and radiologic features.