• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.25-37
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• 2008

Objectives : Ohyaksungi-san(Wuyaoshunqi-san) has been used for many years as a treatment for sciatica in oriental medicine. And electrical acupuncture also has been used as a treatment for sciatica in recent study. By the way, it is hard to find the study that apply two treatments in the same time. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Ohyaksungi-san(Wuyaoshunqi-san) and electrical acupuncture on nerve regeneration after crush injury in rat sciatic nerve in the same time. Methods : This study was designed with 4 subgroups to evaluate the effects of Ohyaksungi-san(Wuyaoshunqi-san) and electrical acupuncture on nerve regeneration. As control groups, group I has not been treated during 3 weeks after crush injury in rat sciatic nerve. Group II has been treated Ohyaksungi-san(Wuyaoshunqi-san), Group III has been treated electrical acupuncture, and Group IV has been treated both during 3 weeks. This study has been estimated sciatic function index and change of GAP-43 immunoreactivity about sciatic nerve regeneration. Results : 1. The test for nerve regeneration had significantly good result of sciatic function index in the experimental groups as compared with control groups(p<.05). Especially, Group IV has the greatest result of sciatic function index. 2. GAP-43, the marker of nerve regeneration, more increased in the experimental groups as compared with control groups. Especially, Group IV has the greatest result of GAP-43. Conclusions : Ohyaksungi-san(Wuyaoshunqi-san) and electrical acupuncture have good effects on nerve regeneration after crush injury in rat sciatic nerve.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.65-75
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• 2002

Objective : Since ancient times venepuncture has been widely used as a useful treatment for low back pain. This study is made in order to objectively evaluate the therapeutic effect of Weizhong(BL40) on low back pain. Methods : Total 46 cases of low back pain patients were divided into 2 groups; one group took only acupuncture therapy, and the other group took acupuncture and venepuncture therapy together. Each patient's pain was evaluated before the treatment and the 3 or 4 days later after the treatment. Pain rating score(PRS) was used to assess the pain for its intensity, frequency, duration, and aggravating factors. Results : Both acupuncture therapy group and acupuncture & venepuncture group showed good effect on low back pain. Though the latter group showed better pain release effect than the former, there was no statistical significance between pain rating score of two groups. Sciatica group showed no significant difference from non-sciatica group in pain rating score. Palpation on Weizhong(BL40) group showed significant difference only in pain duration from non-palpation group. Exposed vessel around Weizhong(BL40) group showed significant difference in pain rating score from non-exposed vessel group. Conclusion : Weizhong(BL40) venepuncture can be highly recommended as a useful therapy for low back pain patients especially who show exposed vessels on the popliteal area.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.217-226
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• 2024

Objective : The efficacy of sciatic nerve decompression via transgluteal approach for entrapment of the sciatic nerve at the greater sciatic notch, called piriformis syndrome, and factors affecting the surgical outcome were analyzed. Methods : The outcome of pain reduction was analyzed in 81 patients with sciatic nerve entrapment who underwent decompression through a transgluteal approach. The patients were followed up for at least 6 months. The degree of pain reduction was analyzed using a numerical rating scale-11 (NRS-11) score and percent pain relief before and after last follow-up following surgery. Success was defined by at least 50% reduction in pain measured via NRS-11. To assess the degree of subjective satisfaction, a 10-point Likert scale was used. In addition, demographic characteristics, anatomical variations, and variations in surgical technique involving sacrotuberous ligamentectomy were analyzed as factors that affect the surgical outcome. Results : At a follow-up of 17.5±12.5 months, sciatic nerve decompression was successful in 50 of 81 patients (61.7%), and the pain relief rate was 43.9±34.17. Subjective improvement based on a 10-point Likert scale was 4.90±3.43. Among the factors that affect the surgical outcome, only additional division of the sacrotuberous ligament during piriformis muscle resection played a significant role. The success rate was higher in the scarotuberous ligementectomy group (79.4%) than in the non-resection group (42.6%), resulting in statistically significant difference based on average NRS-11 score, percent pain relief, and subjective improvement (p<0.05, independent t-test). Conclusion : Sciatic nerve decompression is effective in pain relief in chronic sciatica due to sciatic nerve entrapment at the greater sciatic notch. Its effect was further enhanced by circumferential dissection of the sciatic nerve based on the compartment formed by the piriformis muscle and the sacrotuberous ligament in the greater sciatic notch.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2006

Objectives: The object of this study is to report a clinical effect regarding the conservative treatment of the patients who were diagnosed as the herniated intervertebral lumbar disc(HIVD). Methods: The patients were treated by the oriental medical conservative treatment (Acupuncture, Moxibustion, oriental medicine, and Chu-na therapy). Result of conclusions: 1) Oriental medicine conservative treatment proved its effectiveness during the treatment of HIVD, patients. Especially, Chu-na therapy was superior on pain relive. 2) Treatment of HIVD, took less than 3 months in most cases except protruded or extruded disc. 3) In case of seniors who cannot have a surgical operation because of organ and muscle wickness, the oriental treatment was effective in terms of strengthening muscle and organs.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.85-97
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• 1995

Orthopaedic medicine was developed and published by James Cyriax, a British Orthopaedic Physician on 1929. Orthopaedic medicine is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue lesions. These disorders affect a substantial proportion of all patients in general and in particular, physiotherapy and sports clinics. In broad terms these disorders em trace conditions. such as arthritis. rheumatism. fibrositis. backache. lumbago, sciatica, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, strained wrist, sprains, aches, inflanmation and sports injuries generally. The soft Moving tissues share one thing in common - they are all radiotranslucent and the tissues in question are the joint capsule, the ligaments, the fasciae, dural sheath. These structures can cause pain but none of them is visible on the radiograph. Dr. Cyriax divided all soft tissues into two basic types : 1) Contractile tissue, 2) Inert or noncontractile tissue. The mechanism of diagnosis is tension applied manually. The physician subjects each tissue about the incriminated joint to tension in turn which they call 'Selective tension' with Cyriax's assessment, a more definitive diagnosis can be obtained and proper treatment can be implemented.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2011

The seeds of Abrus precatorius L. (Family- Fabaceae) constitute the drugs Abrus, Gunja, or Ratti in commerce. In the Indian System of Medicine, the seeds are used for sciatica, paralysis, headache, dysentery, diarrhoea, leprosy, ulcer, nervous disorders, alopecia, as well as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antitumor, sexual stimulant and abortifacient. Seeds are poisonous and therefore are used after mitigation. The protein abrin is responsible for the highly toxic properties of seeds. Quantitative HPTLC analysis of the methanolic extract of seeds determined the presence of 0.4018% gallic acid and 0.4009% glycyrrhizin. The present study was undertaken to develop an HPTLC method, as well as ascertain the physico-chemical, morphological and histological parameters to establish the authenticity of A. precatorius seeds.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.162-167
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• 1991

Epidural steroid therapy has been well-established for the treatment of sciatica and low back pain. Disappointing results following surgical decompression or discectomy pain owing for to nerve root compression have led to trials of corticosteroids injected either systemically or into the intrathecal or epidural space to treat intervertebral disc. Epidural steroid is less effective in the patients with low back pain who have a history of surgical operation, so that the use of epidural morphine and methylprednisolone has been advocated for the amelioration of chronic low back pain in the post-laminectomy pain("failed back") syndrome over the past several years. We treated 47 patients with low back pain who had a history of one or two surgical procedures. We concluded that epidural steroid therapy is less effective in the patients with "failed back" syndrome than in the virgin back furthermore, there is a greater risk of complication such as inadvertent dural puncture and corresponding motor paralysis and headache.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.258-262
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• 1999

Sacral meningeal cyst is usually asymtomatic, but may be responsible for sciatic pain syndromes and other clinical symptoms. Sacral meningeal cyst might be suspected when definite explanation for the clinical symptom, such as herniation of the intervertebral disc or spinal stenosis is not found. Plain films and CT may suggest the presence of sacral meningeal cyst, but MR is the current imaging study of choice. Evaluation of the correlation between the symptom and the cyst is as important as detection of it. We have experienced a case of sacral meningeal cyst detected during caudal epidural block. The patient complained of low back pain radiating to thigh. Plain films and lumbar spine CT showed no remarkable finding except disc bulging. During caudal epidural needle insertion, there was leakage of clear CSF, and intrasacral cystic shadow was visualized by dye injection. MR confirmed sacral meningeal cyst.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1527-1532
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• 2000

Althogh spinal epidural lipomatosis is relatively rare, it is a widely recognized complication of excess exogenous glucocorticoids. We report 4 cases of epidural lipomatosis. None of the patients had definitive history of steroid treatment, obesity, or diabetes mellitus, but all had sciatica and radiating pain. In all cases, the authors removed excess amount of epidural fat with surgery after which significant improvement of symptoms was noted.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.217-220
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• 2010

A 73-year-old male presented with a rare dorsally sequestrated lumbar disc herniation manifesting as severe radiating pain in both leg, progressively worsening weakness in both lower extremities, and urinary incontinence, suggesting cauda equina syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested the sequestrated disc fragment located in the extradural space at the L4-L5 level had surrounded and compressed the dural sac from the lateral to dorsal sides. A bilateral decompressive laminectomy was performed under an operating microscope. A large extruded disc was found to have migrated from the ventral aspect, around the thecal sac, and into the dorsal aspect, which compressed the sac to the right. After removal of the disc fragment, his sciatica was relieved and the patient felt strength of lower extremity improved.