• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.216-223
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• 2012

Objectives : Electroacupuncture is widely used because of its diverse curative influence. However, its electrical safety is not guaranteed when applied on the human body. Therefore, in this study, we did research on the corrosiveness of electroacupuncture when applied on the body fluid. Methods : We did research using acupuncture needles which were made of STS304 or STS316 and which were coated or not coated in silicone. They were 0.25 mm in diameter and 40 mm in length. We immersed them to the depth of about 1cm in Hank's Solution and gave a stimulus in 120 Hz for 60 minutes. Then, we measured the pH of Hank's solution and mass of needles and observed their shape. Results : Acupuncture needles which were made of STS304 corroded more easily than those which were made of STS316 when they were applied on the human body. Acupuncture needles which were coated in silicone corroded much more easily than those which were not coated in silicone when they were applied on the body fluid. Conclusions : In this study, we did research on the corrosiveness of electroacupuncture when it is applied on the body fluid using several acupuncture needles. We made a conclusion that when acupuncture needles were applied on the body fluid, the coated one made of STS304 corrodes more easily than the uncoated one made of STS316. We hope that additional further researches on the effect of the corrosiveness of an acupuncture needle will be carried out.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.115-121
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• 2010

Objectives : Quality control of the needle tips and prevention of pollutions are important factor for safe and effective acupuncture treatment. Ear acupuncture needle is made by 3 companies in Korea, and used to treat for obesity or smoking in clinic frequently, but the Korean industrial Standard is proposed most recently. In spite of the importance, there has been little study about that. Moreover, there was no study about ear acupuncture needle. Methods : We investigated the current condition of needle shape and pollution about the tips and body of the ear acupuncture needle under the stereoscopic microscope. Samples are selected 100 pieces from 300 pieces randomly in each company. Results : The substandard needles are classified into four groups and counted 1. Normal condition (55.3%), 2. Scratch on the surface (14.0%), 3. Malformation of tips (19.3%), 4. Pollution of body (4.3%), 5. Multiple Substandard (7.0%). In the case of including type 2 as a standard needle, normal rate of A company was 81% when B was 76%, and C was 51%. Conclusion : The substandard ear acupuncture needles can induce local side effects such as needling pain or itching. Furthermore, it can disturb the proper effect of acupuncture treatment. We hope that this study can help to improvequality of ear acupuncture and reduce substandard rate for safe and effective ear acupuncture treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.105-116
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• 2009

The use of acupuncutre has been increased worldwide, and large number of researches on acupuncture with improved quality has been conducted. Nevertheless, results of acupuncture treatment in those research tend to show mixed results, while many patients continuously seek acupuncture treatment as an adjuvant or alternatives for their health. Researchers and clinicians relevant to acupuncture are faced at this problematic discrepancy between the results of acupuncture in clinical trial including an randomized controlled trial and those of day-to-day clinical practice. The methodology of pragmatic clinical trial seems to be one of the promising research tools administering this problem especially in the area of complementary alternative medicine and traditional Korean medicine. In this study we first reviewed articles on the pragmatic clinical trial, summarized the essential concepts of 'explanatory' clinical trial 'pragmatic' clinical trial and then presented recent recommendations and arguments on this issue. We also analyzed and compared two similar pragmatic clinical trial protocols to show the readers the complexity of research designing. We hope more researchers in traditional Korean medicine will be interested in the methodology of pragmatic clinical trials and this study will serve to produce various high-quality clinical trials.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.41-48
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• 2011

Objectives : This study aimed to explore the passive multi-channel time series analysis method by measuring bio-potentials of acupuncture point and the peripheral region Methods : Bio-potential was measured at ST36 and the peripherical region of ST36 of 5 healthy volunteers at three times. The diagram of the potential changes over time were smoothed by moving average method and similarities of ST36 and the other points were calculated. Results : In the normal weight group, bio-potential similarity tended to decrease in proportion to the distance from the acupuncture point. In the obesity group, bio-potential similarity appeared in a very wide area. Bio-potential similarity had positive correlation with BMI value. Conclusions : The passive multi-channel time series analysis method showed the possibility be appropriate for the electrical characteristics study of meridians.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2012

Objectives: This study evaluated clinical trials of acupuncture treatment for hypertension and to assess their methodology and results. Methods: Eight Korean databases and four international databases were searched for clinical trials of acupuncture treatment for hypertension up to June 2011. Study quality was assessed using the risk of bias (ROB) tool. Results: Twenty-four trials of acupuncture for hypertension were included. There were 14 randomized and 1 non-randomized controlled trials and 9 before-after studies. The most frequently used acupuncture points were zsnli (ST36), qch (LI11), fngch (GB20), snynjio (SP06), snjin (LI03) and hgu (LI04). In more than half of the studies, needle retention time was 20~30 minutes. Compared to baseline, change of blood pressure after treatment was significant in all studies. However, the results of effect on blood pressure between acupuncture and control were not consistent. Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to suggest that acupuncture is an effective treatment for hypertension. Further well-designed clinical trials will be required to evaluate the effects and safety of acupuncture treatment for hypertension.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.217-225
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• 2007

Objectives: This sutdy aims to research the trend of the studies related with acupuncture treatment of asthma. Methods: We searched the electronic database and reviewed ReT studies comparing the effect of sham and real acupuncture published after 2000 Results: We selected eight articles. Effectiveness of asthma acupuncture treatment was generally insufficient. Three articles reported acupuncture to be effective in subjective symptoms and quality of life. Other three articles reported that acupucture treatment was moderately effective but, insignificant compared to sham acupuncture treatment. Some articles reported that acupucture treatment was significant in the decrease of drug dosage and immunologic regulation. Conclusion : For the study on acupuncture treatments in asthma, it is necessary that we conduct research on the various natures of acupuncture. More clinical data would be needed to prove the effects of acupuncture treatment in asthma.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.77-88
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• 2022

The purpose of this review was to identify research trends in acupuncture training systems and models and to analyze acupuncture training using phantom models. Articles on acupuncture training were retrieved from domestic and foreign electronic databases (PubMed, CNKI, CiNii, NDSL, KISS, RISS and KMBase). The search included studies conducted from January 1, 2010 to October 1, 2021. Acupuncture training was analyzed by categorization into acupoint location training and needling training. Acupuncture training was most frequently studied in China, acupoint location training was the most studied in 2012, and needling training was the most studied in 2013 and 2020. Among them, a silicone model with a sensor was used for training in acupoint location, and silicone and agarose gel were frequently used for needling training. Classifications of the phantom models for needling training by topic included phantom development, phantom-based education and evaluation system, phantom-based quantitative measurement, comparison of kinematic characteristics of hand motion between experts and beginners, and phantom models for acupoint location and needling training. Further research on the development of acupuncture practice training systems to improve practical skills is needed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2006

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.109-115
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was aimed to find the motivation and satisfaction of subjects who participated in acupuncture and moxibustion clinical trials and to suggest ways to improve clinical trial management. Methods : We conducted a survey and collected the data of 233 subjects of acupuncture and moxibustion clinical trials from 6 university hospitals. Results : For all 233 subjects, the mean of the total satisfaction score was 4.07 (perfect score 5.0), and the score was particularly high in aspects of the investigator and clinical research coordinator, but low in the site and sponsor aspects. There were no differences in the satisfaction degree with general characteristics. The satisfaction degree of the acupuncture and moxibustion clinical trials was strong positive correlated with participation benefits(r=0.595) and easy contact with the research team (r=0.500). Conclusions : Most subjects showed positive perception and interest in the clinical trials. Future studies should investigate how personal factors influence the satisfaction of subjects, should identify a specific classification criterion, and create a standardized protocol for the clinical trials.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.158-167
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• 2014

Objectives : The results from randomized controlled trials on traditional medicine have been negative or ambiguous. The appropriateness of the research methodology started to be questioned. However, the research methodology appropriate for studying traditional medicine has not been well-established. This study aims to explore the appropriate research methodologies for clinical studies on acupuncture. Methods : Clinical researches evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for back pain were systematically searched and evaluated focusing on research methodology. The acupuncture treatment protocol is evaluated by 9 items which is individual treatment based on diagnosis, combining proximal and distal acupoints, exact location of acupoint, De Qi, adequate stimulation, duration of acupuncture, treatment sessions, treatment interval, and establishing relationship between patients and doctors. Results : Systematic review of acupuncture researches on low back pain suggested that observational studies and pragmatic trials rather than explanatory studies could incorporate these elements. Qualitative studies also could help understanding complex characteristics of acupuncture treatment which could not be evaluated by quantitative studies. Conclusions : In designing clinical researches on acupuncture, various study designs, especially observational study and pragmatic study, should be considered according to research objectives and subjects. The efforts to incorporate the core characteristics of acupuncture practiced in everyday clinical setting are also essential.