• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.37-55
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on postpartum urinary incontinence. Methods: 'postpartum urinary incontinence', 'postnatal urinary incontinence', 'acupuncture' were searched on 4 online databases (Cochrane Library, Pubmed, CNKI, OASIS). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used acupuncture on postpartum urinary incontinence were included. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed by using Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results: 12 RCTs were finally selected. The overall risk of bias was evaluated as uncertain. 11 studies showed that combined treatment group was better than control group in effective rate and/or ICIQ-SF total score, but among those 1 study was not statistically significant in ICIQ-SF total score. In the comparison of alone treatment group and control group, 1 study showed favorable effect in ICIQ-SF total score, but 1 study was not significant in effective rate. Conclusions: Treatment that include acupuncture can effect on postpartum urinary incontinence. but considering quality of studies, inconsistent and insufficient evidence, further well-designed studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of this treatment.

• Journal of Digital Policy
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2022

The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of newly developed program for the recovery and relapse prevention in patients with anxiety disorder. Twenty-four patients with anxiety disorder received Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) session weekly for a period of overall 8 weeks-program. Changes of depression, anxiety, negative and positive automatic thought were compared before and after the program. Depression and anxiety were improved significantly after the MBCT program(Z=-1.9, p=.06, Z=-2.9, p<.001). Conclusions: MBCT may be effective at reducing negative automatic thought and relieving anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with anxiety disorder. However, large-sample, randomized controlled trials will be needed for generalization.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.175-186
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• 2022

This study aimed to systematically review the effectiveness of methylene blue (MB) photosensitizers in the management of symptomatic oral lichen planus (OLP). Electronic online databases and manual searches were performed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English between January 2010 and February 2022. RCTs comparing photodynamic therapy (PDT) and corticosteroid therapy at baseline and follow-up period were identified. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. A meta-analysis was performed regarding visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Thongprasom sign scores, lesion size, response to treatment, and exacerbation of lesions after therapy. The clinical severity was analyzed qualitatively. Five RCTs consisting of 180 samples fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All parameters of VAS score, Thongprasom sign score, lesion size, and response to treatment were statistically non-significant. Our results indicate that both MB-PDT and corticosteroid therapy are effective for the management of OLP. Moreover, MB-PDT is an effective alternative treatment option for OLP when corticosteroids are contraindicated. However, conclusive evidence cannot be ascertained owing to the heterogeneity among the studies.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.41-47
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• 2022

Postherpetic neuralgia(PHN) is one of the most common intractable chronic pain syndromes. This review was conducted to investigates the trends in recent clinical studies of PHN in China and to find out the efficacy of Chinese medicine treatment for PHN. Based on CNKI databases, nineteen randomized controlled trials(RCTs) were analyzed. The search focused on the authors, publication year, sample size, age, duration of illness, treatment period, lesion sites, methods, outcome measures, and results of the selected articles. Four studies used herbal medicine. The most frequently used herbs were Angelicae Gigantis Radix(當歸) and Corydalis Tube(玄胡索). Eighteen studies used acupuncture treatment. The most frequently used acupoints were ST36, LR3, LI4. Three studies used moxibustion and 5 studies used cupping treatment. In all nineteen studies, the efficacy of Chinese medicine treatments was confirmed. More varied and scientifically designed clinical studies are required to develop treatments for PHN. The results of current study could be used as guidance for further studies of treatment on PHN.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.53-68
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• 2023

Objectives : This study was conducted to analyze the Korean Medicine treatment on Tension-type Headache (TTH) in Korean clinical studies. Methods : Articles were searched from four Korean databases(KISS, RISS, OASIS, ScienceON). Study type, publication year, demographic information of participants, intervention type and details, outcome measurements and treatment results of selected articles were analyzed. Results : 17 articles were selected among those published until January 15th 2023. 'Cheonghyulgangki-tang', acupuncture at 'GV20', moxibustion at 'CV12', pharmacopunture at 'GB20', 'ByeolGab' were most frequently used in treatment on TTH. 'Numeric Rating Scale(NRS)' and 'Visual Analog Scale(VAS)' were most frequently used in outcome measurements. All of the articles exhibited that Korean Medicine treatments improved symptoms of TTH. Conclusion : This study showed that various Korean Medicine treatments for TTH were effective. This finding could be used in clinical practice and build the basis for the direction of clinical practice guidelines in future, Nevertheless, this study has few limitations. Further systematic reviews and meta analyses of randomized controlled trials are required for more evidence on Korean Medicine.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.336-351
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• 2022

Background: Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder. To improve the health deterioration of PWS, investigating optimal treatment options for PWS is required. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacotherapies compared with supportive care or placebos in patients with PWS. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE databases were used to search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in PWS patients. Only RCTs that evaluating the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in PWS patients were retrieved. Results: A total of 26 studies were included to evaluate body composition, hormones, glucose levels and hyperphagia behavioral status. Pharmacological treatment group showed a significant decrease of body fat (mean difference (MD): -6.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): -10.58 to -2.06, p=0.004), a significant increase of lean body mass (LBM) (MD: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.43 to 2.30, p<0.00001) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels (MD: 241.62, 95% CI: 68.59 to 414.64, p=0.006) compared with the control group. Nevertheless, based on other outcomes evaluated by the current systematic review, pharmacological options showed different efficacy in treating PWS. Conclusion: Pharmacological therapies were effective to decrease significantly in body fat and increase significantly on LBM and IGF-1 levels in patients with PWS. However, still, individualized therapies should be considered in real-world practice in PWS treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2023

Between May 2014 and April 2022, a total of 926 articles were retrieved from the international database, and a total of 233 articles were retrieved from the Korean database. From there, 14 studies were selected, and evaluated by the published year, terminology of the acupotomy, sample size, disease type, retention time, treatment sites, insertion depth and size of the acupotomy, treatment frequency, and duration, type of acupotomy manipulation method, evaluation index, therapeutic effects, adverse effects, and assessment of the risk of bias in randomized controlled trials. This study examined the need for additional acupotomy studies to secure an objective basis for the application of clinical treatment. Furthermore, the detailed description of the study methods and results and unified terminology can provide evidence for the efficacy of acupotomy.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2023

Varicose veins have a substantial burden on individuals' aesthetics and overall quality of life. The current body of research on Korean medical interventions for varicose veins is limited in Korea, and exploration into clinical trends is lacking. This review specifically analyzed fire acupuncture, which is an understudied intervention in Korea that demonstrated efficacy in alleviating pain and paralysis while promoting tissue regeneration. A comprehensive investigation of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database was conducted, utilizing terms such as "varicose vein," "fire needle," "fire acupuncture," "burning acupuncture," "burning needle," "huǒzhēn," "xiàzhī jìngmài," and "jìngmài qūzhāng." This review included 14 studies investigating the role of fire acupuncture in treating varicose veins. We extracted variables, including age, sex, disease duration, intervention method, treatment frequency, treatment period, acupoints, and outcomes. Fire acupuncture appeared as the primary intervention method, followed by general acupuncture. The protruding part of varicose veins is the main treatment area for fire acupuncture, while the acupoints BL57 and ST36 were most frequently utilized for general acupuncture. Treatment results revealed significant improvement in all studies. However, there are limitations, such as scarce studies, limited side effects studies, and potential bias. Consequently, extensive and well-structured future studies are necessary to demonstrate the role of fire acupuncture in varicose veins.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.188-200
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• 2023

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) disease is a condition in which the stomach contents return to the larynx and pharynx via the esophagus, causing mucosal injury. While conventional treatments, such as proton pump inhibitors, have limitations, acupuncture has been shown to reduce LPR symptoms. However, its effectiveness has not been systematically assessed. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating LPR. We review 10 electronic databases with a consistent search strategy, and 2 independent reviewers screened the articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This study selected and analyzed 7 randomized controlled trials after the screening to assess primary outcomes, including reflux symptom index and reflux finding score, and secondary outcomes, including upper and lower esophageal sphincter pressure. The results revealed the statistically significant effectiveness of acupuncture in combination with conventional treatment in reducing LPR symptoms compared with conventional treatment alone. The most commonly used acupuncture points were CV22, ST36, and LR3. However, the meta-analysis demonstrated low reliability, as assessed using the GRADE Tool. Further research is needed to improve the evidence and draw clear conclusions regarding the clinical use of acupuncture for treating LPR.