• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.312-319
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• 2021

Background: Lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (LHIVD) is a frequently presented condition/disease in Korean medical institutions. In this study, the economics of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial comparing TEA with sham TEA (STEA). Methods: This economic evaluation was analyzed from a limited social perspective, and the per-protocol set was from a basic analysis perspective. The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on the change in visual analog scale score, and the cost-utility analysis was based on the quality-adjusted life years. The final results were expressed as the average cost-effectiveness ratio and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and furthermore sensitivity analysis was performed to confirm the robustness of the results observed. Results: The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that TEA was 9,908 won lower than STEA, while the decrease in 100 mm visual analog scale score was 8.5 mm greater in the TEA group compared with the STEA group (p > 0.05). The cost-utility analysis showed that TEA was 9,908 won lower than STEA, while the quality-adjusted life years of TEA was 0.0026 years higher than STEA (p > 0.05). These results were robust in the sensitivity analysis, but were not statistically significant. Conclusion: In treating LHIVD, TEA appeared to have cost-effectiveness and cost-utility compared with STEA. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of cost, effectiveness, and utility indicators. Therefore, results must be interpreted prudently; this study was the 1^st to conduct an economic evaluation of TEA for LHIVD.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 2014

Objectives : Type analysis and comparison among three decades are done on papers published in The Journal of Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion from the inaugural issue to the last issue of 2013, Vol 30(5). Methods : Journal search engine at 'theacpuncture' and 'kamms' were used. Issues not searched in these two search engines were not included in the analysis. Results : The number of journals in the thirty years of the journal history included 2081 articles. For type analysis of the articles, experiment articles outnumbered other types with 743 papers followed by 564 review articles, 601 clinical articles, and 156 case articles. In comparison among three decades, recent ten years outnumbered the other types with 1060 papers followed by 853 papers in the middle decade and 168 papers at the initial decade. Conclusion : In the thirty years of the journal history, the research has become more actively done in the recent decade.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.69-78
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• 2020

Although there have been studies investigating the clinical effects of warm needling (WN) for specific diseases, a comprehensive review of WN is needed. Four Korean internet databases were used in the review of WN treatment performed in Korea. The search terms used to retrieve articles were "warm needling (in Korean; 온침)," "warm acupuncture," and "warm needle." A total of 29 articles were reviewed. The following aspects of WN were investigated: language and terminology, study design, use of Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture, research ethics, moxibustion types, number of moxa used, moxa combustion time, needle retention time, treatment time and frequency, acupoints, meridians, acupuncture size and depth, disease classification, pattern identification, outcome measures, and adverse effect. More sophisticated and precise studies on WN are required.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.519-536
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• 1998

Purpose ; This Investigation was aimed to find out the Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Acupuncture of Epiphora(Watery Eye) in Oriental Medicine Methods ; 49 books were surveyed from to recent published books those referred to Epiphora. Results ; In Oriental Medicine, Epiphora is divided into two types; Cool Watery eye and Hot Watery eye. Both cool and hot type can be redivided into the mild and serious cases. The mild Watery eye means tears on the cheek with the wind; The serious Watery eye means tears on the cheek unrelated the wind from time to time. Conclusions ; The cause of Epiphora can be concluded with the shortage of functional division of Liver and Kidney(肝腎虛), and the chaos and fever of Liver meridian(肝經風熱). In Acupuncture agenst Epiphora, the acupuncture point at Bladder, Gallbladder and Liver meridian occupied the high level of the most often-used acupuncture point list; The acupuncture point at the portion of head and neck, upper extremities, lower extremities, and back, especially around orbit, were mainly used against Epiphora. Recently, beyond conventional acupuncture, Auricular- Acupuncture(耳鍼療法), Herb- Acupuncture(藥鍼療法), Bleeding-Acupuncture(潟血療法), Manipulation(手技療法) used against Epiphora.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.41
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• pp.143-148
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• 2024

A patient with sequelae of peripheral facial nerve palsy (FNP) was mainly treated with facial chuna manual therapy (FCMT) for over 6 months. The patient was diagnosed with hemophilia B and C, so invasive treatments, such as acupuncture and pharmacopuncture, were precluded. The facial nerve grading system 2.0 (FNGS) and the House-Brackmann Grading Scale (HBGS), Peitersen, Murata, Mehta, and numeric rating scale (NRS) systems were used to measure treatment effectiveness. Each scale showed improvement: FNGS, 3 to 2; HBGS, 3 to 2; Peitersen scale, 2 to 1; Murata scale, 9 to 4; Mehta scale, 14 to 1; and NRS, 8.5 to 2.5. An overall improvement was evident in facial muscle strength, particularly in synkinesis. If acupuncture and pharmacopuncture are unavailable, FCMT alone may be effective in treating FNP sequelae.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2019

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease, where treatment with medication may lead to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. The objective of this case study was to investigate the effectiveness of Korean medicine (KM) in treating PD with drug-induced GI dysfunction. A 70-year-old female participant was diagnosed with PD in 2010 and drug-induced gastritis in 2016. Her major symptoms were related to GI, PD, and overall feeling of weakness. She was treated with KM including pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicines, in combination with Western medicines during 46 days of in-patient care. This study showed an improvement in symptoms and scores on the GI symptom scale, Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale, Hoehn and Yahr staging, Berg balance scale, PD quality of life, and stress index at discharge. This case demonstrated that the symptoms of drug-induced GI dysfunctions in PD was improved by treatment with KM.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.155-162
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean medical treatment on a patient with relapsing transverse myelitis. Methods : The patient was treated using acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine and other treatments including moxibustion and therapeutic exercise for 8 weeks. We evaluated the patient's motor grade with medical research council(MRC) scale and evaluated active range of motion in the hip, knee, and anke joint. Results : Through treatment the patient's motor grade and active range of motion all improved. Other symptoms such as lower limb hypoesthesia and residual urine sensation also showed improvement. Conclusions : We concluded that Korean medicine treatment had respectable effect in improving symptoms on the patient with relapsing transverse myelitis.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.123-134
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• 2006

Objectives : To research the study related to acnes with acupuncture In literature, and to establish the hereafter direction of treating acnes with acupuncture. Methods : We searched oriental medical literature, PubMed, NDSL and 1055 related to acne and acupuncture. Results : 1 Among the meridians, the Large Intestine Meridian, the Stomach Meridian, the Bladder Meridian and the Spleen Meridian were commonly used. 2. Among acupuncture point, Zusanli(ST36), Quchi(LI11) and Sanyinjiao(SP6) were mostly used. 3. The methods are focused on expelling wind-damp, heat-clearing, blood-harmony, transport function of stomach and spleen. 4. Auricular acupressure were used on Naebunbijeom, Pijihajeom, Pejeom and Shinmun.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2003

Objective : The purpose of this study is To investigate the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion at Zusanli(ST36) and Weishu(BL21) Methods : serum gastrin level by radioimmunoassay was measured at 5 days after acupuncture and moxibustion of those acupoints. Gastric endocrine cell(G cell and Histamine immunoreactive density) by avidin-biotinylated complex(ABC) technique, histological examinations(Alcian Blue-PAS Stain; Alcian blue-Periodic Acid Schiff reagent) of the gastric mucosa were also performed. Acupuncture applied to the ST36 acupoint increased gastrin level of serum, but moxibustion did not produced significant effect. All of acupuncture and moxibustion at BL21 acupoint increased gastrin level of serum significantly. In moxibustion at ST36 and BL21, the number of gastrin secreting cells in gastric mucosa, the density of immunoreactive histamin secreting cells and the density of body mucosa stained by PAS were decreased compare to acupuncture at ST36 and BL21. In acupuncture and moxibustion at BL21, the density of pylorus mucosa stained by PAS were increased compare to the groups applied to ST36. In the density of body mucosa stained by AB, moxibustion at BL21 and ST36 were increased compare to the other groups. Results : These data suggest that acupuncture and moxibustion at BL21 increased gastrin level of serum and those effects were more potent than acupuncture at ST36.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim of this study is to review papers on adverse events in the course of Oriental Medical treatments in the JKAMS and the JCTKAM. Methods : We searched papers up to December 2010 in the JKAMS and The JCTKAM. Electronic and manual literature searches were performed. Results : 92 papers were retrived in total. Out of these, 62 reported the occurrence of adverse events whereas 30 reported none. Adverse events in treatments were generally transient and mild. However, this result had limitations due to the insufficient number of papers reporting adverse events and the inconsistency in the methodology according to each paper. Conclusions : Reports on adverse events are necessary in clinical research. In future research, organized case reports and systemic reviews should be carried out. Furthermore, prospective studies should be done as well.