• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.211-218
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to show the clinical effects of integrative oriental medical treatments for femur pain and disfunction after hip fracture surgery. Methods : Two patients were treated using acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medication and other oriental medical treatments include moxibustion, cupping therapy, physical rehabilitation for 2~3 months. And the effects of these integrative treatments were measured with numeric rating scale(NRS) and functional recovery score(FRS). Results : NRS of femur pain was decreased from 8 to 4~5 in case 1 and from 6 to 4 in case 2. FRS was improved in both cases. Conclusions : Integrative oriental medical treatments maybe effective to the patients complaining pain and functional limitations after hip fracture surgery.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.47-56
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• 2010

Objectives : The moxibustion is the method using the heat stimulation done by attached and burned a moxa on a healing point or acupuncture point with chemical stimulation of a resin made from burning them. The purpose of this study is to find the physical and thermal characteristics of moxibustion in order to standardize the moxa therapy method. Methods : In this study, the thermal changes were observed by means of a testo 845 device, which is an infra-red thermometer to measure the thermal changes. Results & Conclusions : 1. The thermal changes on the external surface of moxibustion did not depend on the weight of the moxa; the external surface temperature was about $500^{\circ}C$. 2. The central thermal changes depend on the weight of moxa; the central temperatures ranged from $500^{\circ}C$ to $700^{\circ}C$. 3. The burning duration of moxibustion depend on the weight of moxa but that of external surface temperature did not depend on the weight of moxa in high degree : about $400^{\circ}C$. 4. The integral values of central and external temperature curves were proportional to the weight of moxa; that is central temperature curves were higher than that of external.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.79-94
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• 2010

Objectives : Many researchers in western societies raised questions on methodological limitations of randomized controlled trial (RCT) for studying Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), and they have tried to find alternatives to RCT. Some of them recently have interest in health service research as one of the alternatives. Discussing the significance of health services research in CAM studies will be helpful to guide the researchers in Korea who are also interested in developing an appropriate research methodology for traditional Korean medicine. Methods : Previous studies on methodological issues of studying CAM and health service researches published in western societies until 2009 were searched mainly from Pubmed. The definition, main research domains, and research methods of health service research and the significance of it for researches on CAM were summarized. Results & Conclusions : Health service researches are important in two aspects. First, health service researches evaluate the actual practice of CAM, including the individualized diagnosis as well as treatment and interaction between practitioners and patients. Second, when evaluating the outcomes, they put an emphasis on subjective evaluation by patients as well as objective evaluation by doctors. Thus, it can reflect the treatment goals of CAM which is improving the overall quality of life and the physical and psychological health. Therefore, health services researches such as descriptive studies, qualitative studies, outcomes studies including economic evaluation, and whole systemic research should be more utilized in order for studying traditional Korean medicine.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.217-226
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• 2011

The aim of this study is to identify central neural pathway of neurons following the projection to the large intestine and Hapgok(LI4) which is Won acupoint of the large intestine meridian of hand-yangmyeong. In this experiment, Bartha's strain of pseudorabies virus was used to trace central localization of neurons related with large intestine and acupoint(LI4) which has been known to be able to regulate intestinal function. The animals were divided into 3 groups: group 1, injected into the large intestine; group 2, injected into the acupoint(LI4); group 3, injected into the acupoint(LI4) after severing the radial, ulnar, median nerve. After four days survival of rats, PRV labeled neurons were identified in the spinal cord and brain by immunohistochemical method. First-order PRV labeled neurons following the projection to large intestine, acupoint(LI4) and acupoint(LI4) after cutting nerve were found in the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal cord. Commonly labeled neurons were labeled in the lumbosacral spinal cord and thoracic spinal cord. They were found in lamina V- X, intermediomedial nucleus and dorsal column area. The area of sensory neurons projecting was L5-S2 spinal ganglia and T12-L1 spinal ganglia, respectively. In the brainstem, the neurons were labeled most evidently and consistently in the nucleus tractus solitarius, area postrema, dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve, reticular nucleus, raphe nuclei(obscurus, magnus and pallidus), C3 adrenalin cells, parapyramidal area(lateral paragigantocellular nucleus), locus coeruleus, subcoeruleus nucleus, A5 cell group, periaqueductal gray matter. In the diencephalon, PRV labeled neurons were marked mostly in the arcuate nucleus and median eminence. These results suggest that overlapped CNS locations are related with autonomic nuclei which regulate the functions of large intestine-related organs and it was revealed by tracing PRV labeled neurons projecting large intestine and related acupoint(LI4).

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.23-36
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• 2012

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate effective treatment point selection method using oppressive pain in acupoints as elementary attempt for standard methodology of clinical acupuncture studies. Methods : Twenty seven subjects with hypertension or within prehypertension category - systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) over 120/80mmHg - were divided into two groups, oppressive pain point treatment group and oppressive painless point treatment group. In oppressive pain point treatment group, single point acupuncture (SPA) was conducted for 16 sessions during 8 weeks on most oppressive painful point among 6 selected acupuncture points used in previous trials and clinic. As a SPA intervention, 15 minutes with deqi sensation- elevating manipulation was conducted on the treatment acupoint. Same process was conducted in oppressive painless point treatment group on most oppressive painless point with subject blinding. Results : Significant reduction was observed in both systolic and diastolic BP after short time intervention (15.5/8.8 mmHg, 10.7/7.1 mmHg, P<0.05, respectively at 1 week) and maintained for 8 weeks intervention period in all groups (12.8/8.0 mmHg, 19.4/12.6 mmHg, P<0.05, respectively). No significant difference of BP change between oppressive pain point treatment group (N=10) and oppressive painless point treatment group (N=9) was observed during 8 weeks study period. Conclusions : SPA treatment as used in this pilot study was effective for lowering BP in mild hypertensive population, but oppressive pain in acupoint had no effect on treatment. This present result suggests the possibility of SPA for hypertension treatment regardless of oppressive pain.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.75-89
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• 2009

Objectives: Warm needling combines simultaneously the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion. This study was to investigate whether warm needling could relieve acute knee arthritis induced by carrageenan in rats. Methods: To illuminate the underlying mechanisms of the warm needling-induced antinociception, weight bearing force (WBF) was observed on the acute knee arthritic rat model. Under general anesthesia, ST36, SP9, Hakjung extra point, LI4 were punctured and stimulated with 30 mg moxa ball combustion on top of the needle (${\emptyset}0.18{\times}8mm$). Results: In behavioral test, rats subsequently showed a reduced stepping force of the affected limb 3 hours after the induction of arthritis. Warm needling on the contralateral or ipsilateral ST36 failed to show antinociceptive effect on the acute knee arthritis. Warm needling on the contralateral SP9 or LI4 increased WBF values to normal level in the acute stage of the arthritis. Warm needling on the Hakjung extra-point resulted in the significant antinociceptive effects through acute stage. These effects of warm needling were suppressed by opioids receptor antagonist naltrexone (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and alpha adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (5 mg/kg, i.p.). Conclusion: The data suggest that warm needling-induced antinociception is differently mediated by acupoints and accomplished by activating the descending inhibitory systems including endogenous opioids and $\alpha$-adrenoceptors.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.37-45
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• 2020

Objectives : Mitochondria are typically known as intracellular double membrane-bound structures that supply energy for intracellular metabolism including Krebs cycle and beta-oxidation. Also, acupuncture has been known to stimulate the flow of energy. To explore the effect of acupuncture on the mitochondrial respiratory chain activities in rat's heart and kidneys, the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I to IV were observed. Methods : The rats were divided into 11 groups; Normal (no acupuncture treatment and under anesthesia for 10 min), heart meridian five-transport-points (acupuncture treatment at HT9, HT8, HT7, HT4 and HT3 under anesthesia for 10 min), and kidney meridian five-transport-points (acupuncture treatment at KI1, KI2, KI3, KI7 and KI10 under anesthesia for 10 min). All rats were sacrificed and the heart and kidneys were examined for the changes of respiratory chain activities. Results : Acupuncture at HT7 increased the activity of succinate dehydrogenase; acupuncture at KI2 increased the activity of ubiquinol cytochrome C oxidoreductase; and acupuncture at HT9, HT8, HT3 and KI1 increased activities of cytochrome C oxidase. Conclusions : Acupuncture assists mitochondrial repiratory chain activity via the Cytochrome C oxidase signaling pathway in heart and kidney of rats.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.145-158
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• 2020

Objectives : Mast cells, the multifunctional immune cells which can be activated by various stimulations, have been in the limelight recently at the fields of acupuncture research. This study aimed to investigate the association between the distribution of mast cell and acupoint specificity. We focused on the characteristics of mast cell distribution of acupoints in normal, pathologically sensitized, and acupoint-stimulated state. Methods : Literature searches were performed on PubMed and EMBASE for dates ranging to February 2019, by using terms "acupuncture", "moxibustion", "acupoint", "mast cell". Finally, 18 papers were collected by inclusion and exclusion criteria. To assess the quality of included studies, modified SYRCLE's risk of bias tool for animal studies was used. Results : Overall, the studies showed that the number of the mast cells was higher in acupoints than non-acupoints. After pathological sensitization, increasing tendency towards the mast cell number was reported in acupoints. The increase of mast cells was also observed after acupuncture or moxibustion. However, when the acupoint stimulation was repeated for several days in pathological models, the results did not show consistent tendency. In quality assessments, most of the studies showed unclear risk of bias. Conclusions : The studies showed a consistent trend about the association with mast cell distribution and acupoint specificity. However, we could not certainly affirm the relationship due to insufficient qualities of included studies. Not only the distribution but also the functions should be considered in further researches to identify the relationship between mast cells and acupuncture effect.

• 대한전자공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전자공학회 1999년도 하계종합학술대회 논문집
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• pp.563-566
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• 1999

The functional diagnosis instrument should be preceded first to both the accurate selection of exact acupoint and discrimination. so the measuring and stimulating method are improved to SPAC pattern to evaluate impedance existed in the body. As a result, the resistance factor between skin and probe, the dipolization of cell was reduced so that the judgement of acupoint is advanced. After extraction of optimization parameter of SPAC pattern which the high discrimination efficiency and the lowest affection on the human body is controlled by using microprocessor to enhance conviction. The discrimination efficiency was confirmed by meridian visualization system. Also mechanism of probe was improved to increase efficiency of image recognition processing. The image of discriminated acupoint with probe is obtained by using a camera, the location on the tip of probe is recognized and processed. And then these are converted to virtual color by proportional to measuring current level of scan point on skin.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.81-90
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose on this study is to report clinical effects of oriental medicine for gait disturbance after traffic accident. Methods : The patient was treated using electro-acupuncture, 8 constitution acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion and physical treatment. The effects for gait disturbance have measured with modified barthel index(MBI) and that for lower back pain have measured with visual analog scale(VAS). Results : 1. The Modified barthel index gradually increased according to treatment time. 2. The VAS of low back pain decreased to less than half. Conclusion : Oriental medical treatment showed positive effect on gait disturbance after traffic accident.