• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2021

While carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy affecting the wrist, resulting in substantial physical, psychological, and economic effects, there is no gold standard therapy for CTS. In this case series study, we aimed to report CTS patients treated with Carthami Semen Pharmacopuncture (CSP) and electroacupuncture (EA) showing improvements in their symptoms, and the combinatorial effects of CSP and EA. We collected medical records of CTS outpatients who received CSP and EA at Chuku Acupuncture & Moxibustion Korean Medicine Clinic from August 2017 to September 2018. The outcome measures were the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, paresthesia, the Korean version of the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire (K-BCTQ) score, and changes in nocturnal pain, Tinel sign, and Phalen's test. We included patient satisfaction at the completion of all treatments. 17 patients were included for this case series study. After treatment, VAS for pain decreased significantly from 50.41 ± 16.19 to 9.59 ± 9.46, VAS for paresthesia also decreased significantly from 63.50 ± 11.49 to 14.75 ± 12.97, and K-BCTQ symptom severity scale decreased from 2.48 ± 0.68 to 1.89 ± 0.70 (all p < 0.001). Nocturnal pain, Tinel signs, and Phalen's test showed improvements after all the treatments. All the patients reported favorable overall satisfaction with the treatments, and 69.23% wanted future pharmacopuncture treatments if CTS recurred. No complications were detected. The combination of CSP and EA could be an effective and safe option in treating CTS.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.143-154
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• 2020

Purpose : This study aims to investigate the effect of instrument-activities daily living training through client-centered home visitation on the cognitive functions, occupational performance, and instrument-activities daily living of elderly at the cognitive support grade(Grade6). Methods : The subject of this study was a 66-year-old woman living in G Metropolitan City, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and mild dementia. The study period was from March 17, 2020 through June 12, 2020, and the A-B-A' design, among the individual case experiments, was adopted as the study design. For the data analysis, descriptive statistic and visual analysis using graph were used for the change of cognitive functions, occupational performance, and instrument-activities daily living. Results : The instrument-activities daily living provided through client-centered home visitation improved the subject's cognitive functions, occupational performance(performance, satisfaction) and instrument-activities daily living. Conclusion : This study showed that daily life training through client-centered home visitation can help elderly people at the cognitive support grade select for themselves the problems of daily life caused by cognitive decline and practice specific action plans, thereby enabling them to maintain and improve the cognitive functions necessary for the performance of activities, such as comprehension, memory, and thinking skills. In addition, it is thought that the activities based on the subject's preferences, performance, and sense of importance assured the subject of feelings of motivation and the possibility of participation, and had a positive effect on the subject's performance speed and rate. With the above in mind, Instrument-activities daily living client-centered home visitation is proposed as a potential practical intervention program for individuals. It can help elderly people at cognitive support grade to maintain and improve their functions, thereby delaying the progress of their condition to severe dementia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2021

Combined Western-Korean medicine treatments were given to a 67-year-old woman with late onset seizures who underwent surgical drainage of a subdural hematoma. Clonazepam and herbal medicine was prescribed. Acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, chuna, and physical therapy were also performed. The frequency and intensity of seizures was assessed using the Chalfont Seizure Severity Scale. The seizure index score improved from 25 at admission to 0 at discharge. Pain in the right upper extremity reduced from 10 to 0 on the visual analogue scale and muscle strength increased from Grade 3 to 5 in Medical Research Council Scale for the Manual Muscle Test. At the time of hospitalization, the manual muscle strength tests for the affected shoulder, elbow, wrist, and grip strength were 30%, 60%, 10%, 5%, respectively, which improved almost 100% by discharge. Further studies using combined Western-Korean medicine for seizures after strokes are necessary to determine the most effective treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.217-228
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• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in chronic low back pain and neuropathic pain. Methods: Seventy-four patients aged 18-65 with chronic low back pain were included in the study. Baseline measurements were performed, and patients were randomized into three groups. The first group received burst TENS (bTENS), the second group conventional TENS (cTENS), and the third group placebo TENS (pTENS), all over 15 sessions. Patients' visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were evaluated before treatment (preT), immediately after treatment (postT), and in the third month after treatment (postT3). Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions (DN4), the Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (MOS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and sympathetic skin response (SSR) values were also evaluated preT and postT3. Results: A statistically significant improvement was observed in mean VAS scores postT compared to preT in all three groups. Intergroup comparison revealed a significant difference between preT and postT values, that difference being assessed in favor of bTENS at multiple comparison analysis. Although significant improvement was determined in neuropathic pain DN4 scores measured at postT3 compared to preT in all groups, there was no significant difference between the groups. No statistically significant difference was also observed between the groups in terms of MOS, BDI, or SSR values at postT3 (P > 0.05). Conclusions: bTENS therapy in patients with low back pain is an effective and safe method that can be employed in short-term pain control.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2022

Background: We developed a machine vision technology program that tracks patients' real-time breathing and automatically analyzes their breathing patterns. Materials and Methods: To evaluate its potential for clinical application, the image tracking performance and accuracy of the program were analyzed using a respiratory motion phantom. Changes in the stability and regularity of breathing were observed in healthy adult volunteers according to whether the breathing pattern mirrored the breathing guidance. Results and Discussion: Displacement within a few millimeters was observed in real-time with a clear resolution, and the image tracking ability was excellent. This result was consistent even in the sections where breathing patterns changed rapidly. In addition, the respiratory gating method that reflected the individual breathing patterns improved breathing stability and regularity in all volunteers. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that this technology can be used to set the appropriate window and the range of internal target volume by reflecting the patient's breathing pattern during radiotherapy planning. However, further studies in clinical populations are required to validate this technology.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.84-87
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• 2022

Purpose: This was a pilot study to examine the clinical usefulness of the newly developed three-dimensional sweep mode extracorporeal shockwave treatment (ESWT) in patients with plantar fasciitis. Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional sweep mode ESWT was performed once a week for 5 weeks in patients with plantar fasciitis who showed no improvement with the conventional conservative treatment. A 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) reading for pain from walking and at rest after walking were collected before the treatment and 8 and 16 weeks after the initial treatment. In addition, the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) and EuroQol-5-dimension (EQ-5D) scores before and 16 weeks after the treatment were evaluated. Results: VAS for pain for walking improved from 50.60±8.38 to 19.80±15.61 at 8 weeks after the initial treatment (p=0.008) and 9.80±9.62 at 16 weeks after the treatment (p<0.001). VAS for pain at rest after walking improved from 36.60±19.55 to 11.80±12.95 at 8 weeks after the initial treatment (p=0.052) and 8.80±8.87 at 16 weeks after the treatment (p=0.024). Preoperative FAOS increased from an average of 74.80±9.73 before the treatment to an average of 81.00±8.86 at week 16 after the procedure (p=0.49) and compared to pre-treatment levels, there was a decrease of one level in the anxiety/depression domain of the EQ-5D, post-treatment. Conclusion: The results of this preliminary study confirmed that the newly developed EWST with the smart forging sweep mode was effective in improving pain and function in plantar fasciitis.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.55-64
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• 2022

Objectives The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of acupotomy for carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods Based on seven domestic and foreign databases. We analyzed the randomized controlled trials using acupotomy for carpal tunnel syndrome. The treatment group was treated with acupotomy and the control group was no restrictions on treatment methods. Results In this study, the effect of acupuncture treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome was investigated. Each study reported that acupotomy could be an effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. However, as a result of meta-analysis of Levine carpal tunnel syndrome questionnaire scores, visual analog scale, and sensory nerve conduction velocity, the results were more clinically significant than those of the control group. Due to the small number of randomized controlled trial studies and the nature of acupotomy treatment, blinding of interventions was impossible, resulting in a high risk of bias. Conclusions In this regard, it is thought that well-planned randomized controlled studies on patients with carpal tunnel syndrome are needed in the future to secure the clinical evidence for acupotomy treatment.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.345-355
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• 2021

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of external vibrating devices and counterstimulation on a child's dental anxiety, apprehension, and pain perception during local anesthetic administration. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, parallel-arm, single-blinded interventional, clinical trial. One hundred children aged 4-11 years, requiring pulp therapy or extraction under local anesthesia (LA), were recruited and allocated equally into two groups (1:1) based on the interventions used: Group BD (n = 50) received vibration using a Buzzy^® device {MMJ Labs, Atlanta, GE, USA} as a behavior guidance technique; Group CS (n = 50) received counterstimulation for the same technique. Anxiety levels [Venham's Clinical Anxiety Rating Scale (VCARS), Venham Picture Test (VPT), Pulse oximeter {Gibson, Fingertip Pulse Oximeter}, Beijing, China)] were assessed before, during, and after LA administration, while pain perception [Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBFPS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)] was evaluated immediately after injection. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test to assess the mean difference between the two groups and the repeated measures ANOVA for testing the mean difference in the pulse rates. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Significant differences in mean pulse rate values were observed in both groups. In contrast, the children in the BD group had higher diminution (P < 0.05), whereas the mean VCARS and VPT scores were conspicuous (P < 0.05). Based on the mean WBFPS and VAS scores, delayed pain perception after LA injection was more prominent in the BD group than in the CS group. Conclusion: External vibration using a Buzzy^® device is comparatively better than counterstimulation in alleviating needle-associated anxiety in children requiring extraction and pulpectomy.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report on the efficacy of Korean medical treatment for voiding dysfunction. Methods: We treated a patient with voiding dysfunction using Korean medical treatments (herbal medicines, acupuncture, and herbal acupuncture therapy). To evaluate the results of this treatment, we measured the international prostate symptom score (IPSS) and the visual analog scale (VAS) for residual urination, dysuria, and miction pain. The general health status was evaluated with the European quality of life-5 dimensions (EQ-5d) scale. Results: We observed improvements in the IPSS and the EQ-5d scale after the treatments. Changes in the VAS reflected relief of residual urination and dysuria but not miction pain. Conclusions: This study suggests that Korean medicine may be effective to treat voiding dysfunction.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.47-59
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• 2023

Objectives This paper is an analysis of domestic and foreign trends for the Korean medical treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Methods Domestic and foreign databases were searched and analyzed for Korean medical treatment interventions, research types, and treatment effects for avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Results There were 10 case reports in Korea, 2 case reports and 3 randomized controlled studies abroad. A total of 12 treatment interventions were used, and the types include acupuncture, herbal medicine, phamacopunture, electroacupuncture, cupping, physical therapy, chuna, acupotomy, moxibustion, warm acupuncture, laser acupuncture, and motion style treatment. As for the evaluation index, visual analogue scale, range of motion and harris hip score were the most common with 7 cases each. Conclusions Through this study, it was possible to understand the trends of domestic and foreign research on the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head with Korean medicine. However, due to the small number of literature and no randomized control studies in Korea, treatment evidence is insufficient. It is considered that further research is needed in the future.