• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.67-77
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• 2011

Objectives : The survey was conducted to find out ear acupuncture usage of clinical traditional Korean medicine doctor and lay a foundation for the standards for its clinical application. Methods : An e-mail was sent to Korean medicine doctors whose email addresses are registered at the Association of Korea Oriental Medicine twice over two weeks. 280 completed questionnaires were used for the analysis. Results : 66.07% of respondents answered in use, whereas the answer that "less than 10 per 100 patient applied" was more than majority of 54.29%. The major field of treatment is addictive disorders such as smoking and the 80.11% patients got less than 3 days of treatment. Ear region was the most commonly treated area with 66.67%. Since the self removal frequency was high as 65.05% in compared to the case of visiting clinic. The rate of side effects was less than 10% (96.70%), and these side effects showed light symptoms such as "pain" (46.95%), itchiness (29.27%), flare (19.51%). The Acquired complements for improving ear acupuncture treatment was "the development of effective treatment manual" (28.57%) and "increasing insurance costs" (27.86%). Conclusions : Based on the survey, the vast majority of the TKM doctor used ear acupuncture but the frequency of use was low. We hope this study can be the basis for development of treatment manuals for various indications and safe treatment guidelines.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.145-154
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• 2006

Objectives : To research the recent trends of study related to pain modulation of acupuncture. Methods : We searched the resent study related to pain modulation of acupuncture. Results & Conclusion : 1) Early studies demonstrated that the analgesic effects of acupuncture are mediated by opioid peptides in the periaqueductal gray. Recent evidences show that nitric oxide plays an important role in mediating the cardiovascular responses to acupuncture stimulation through gracile nucleus-thalamic pathway. 2) Recent evidences show that acupuncture stimulate gene expression related to pain. 3) By using functional magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography, recent study suggest that acupuncture has regionally specific, quantifiable effects on pain-relevant brain structures.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.53-66
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• 2009

Objective : Acupuncture has been widely used throughout the world for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (knee OA). This study investigated whether acupuncture, particularly Sa-am acupuncture, could be effective in relieving pain and improving the symptoms of knee OA. Method : This study was conducted as a prospective, randomized, controlled, and patient- and investigator-blinded clinical trial. Forty volunteers with knee OA participated in the study. All participants were screened through an inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirty four participants completed the clinical trial. In total, forty subjects were randomly selected to receive Sa-am acupuncture. Eight sessions of acupuncture were given at the contralateral side of the problematic knee for 4 weeks. Korean translation of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (KWOMAC) scores were measured twice: at the beginning and end of the clinical trial period. Both the Patient Global Assessment and physical health scores based on the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey were also used to measure the results. Results : Compared to the pre-trial scores, the Sa-am acupuncture group (n=34) showed a significant decrease in KWOMAC total scores according to a paired t-test. The Sa-am acupuncture group also showed significant improvement in the Patient Global Assessment when compared to the pre-trial. Conclusions : Sa-am acupuncture for knee OA resulted in an improved KWOMAC total score. This was mostly driven by the function component score that was greatly affected by acupuncture. However, further studies with expanded designs are needed to solidify this finding with scientific rigor.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.363-400
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• 1995

The electroacupuncture according to Voll(EAV) is a method of combining the fundamentals of classical acupuncture with the facilities of modern electronics for diagnostics and therapy. Classical acupuncture uses energy conducting lines called 'meridians' and acupuncture points situated along them. Dr. Voll is considered the founder of 'EAV' since he succeeded not only in finding a method of exact electric localization and in explaining the interelation between the acupuncture points and their individual organs, but he also succeeded in measuring the resistance of these points and in explaining the diagnostic meaning of the measured values. In the course of his research, Voll found numerous new measurement points and energy conducting vessels unknown to classical acupuncture, but indispensible for diagnosis of human organic functions. As a basis of modern research in meridian theory, I tried to compare EAV measurement point with classical acupuncture point.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.113-125
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• 2017

Objectives : Cervical herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) are common diseases. They can be managed with acupuncture, but the evidence for effectiveness is uncertain. This review analyzed the acupuncture studies of domestic neck pain and cervical HIVD; the purpose of this study was to provide basic data useful for future research. Methods : We investigated acupuncture treatments for neck pain and cervical HIVD by searching 5 Korean Internet databases. The keywords used were "neck pain", "HIVD-cervical spine", and "nuchal pain". A total of 53 research papers (17 case reports, 16 clinical data analyses, 11 randomized controlled trials, and 9 non-randomized controlled trials) were found and analyzed according to the publication year, type of study, treatment, use of filiform needles, and type of pharmacopuncture used acupoint. The effectiveness of acupuncture treatment was determined. Results : 1. Filiform needles have been primarily used in domestic research and were used in at least half of published pharmacopuncture studies. 2. In 51 papers using filiform needles, many studies used only local acupoints; few studies used only distant acupoints. 3. All studies using pharmacopuncture were performed using local acupoints. In particular, the studies based on A-shi point, trigger point, and radiologic lesion sites were useful for multiple purposes. Conclusion : In this study, we analyzed the acupuncture contents of the domestic neck pain and HIVD-cervical spine clinical studies. This study considers the assessment of the quality and efficacy of each study, which is likely to require research that reflects the future.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.183-201
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• 2010

Objective : To explore and describe chronic low back pain (cLBP) patients' experience of acupuncture treatment Methods : Eleven patients with cLBP who agreed and completed the informed consent to take part in this qualitative study were interviewed thoroughly and tape-recorded. Transcribed data were read independently by 4 researchers and analysed thematically with ground theory. Results : All participants chose acupuncture treatment for their cLBP because either they preferred, other people recommended, or felt conventional treatment being more comfortable. Most of the participants experienced improvement during acupuncture treatment and continued treatment motivated by mere expectations. Participants also expressed the specific physical responses/sensations to the effect of acupuncture; various adverse effects during the course of acupuncture treatment. Economic burden was another concern when combined with other therapies in Korean Medicine hospitals. It is considered as a specifically important to those who give acupuncture treatment to obtain a full treatment effect. Conclusions : The emotional facts that Korean patients with cLBP receiving acupuncture treatment benefited by the treatment and considering specific sensations from doctor-patient relationship were turned out to be important to have the maximum treatment effect. Findings from this study should be considered in both acupuncture research and practice.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.171-183
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• 2002

Objective : To research the trends of study related to myofascial pain syndrome(MPS) and acupuncture in PubMed, and to establish the hereafter direction of myofascial pain syndrome(MPS) with acupuncture. Methods : We searched in PubMed, with myofascial pain syndrome and acupuncture, trigger point and acupuncture limitted by abstract. Results : 1. The pattern of the study was as follows : Review article(11), Clinical(11) rondomized controlled trials(21). We further estimated 24 articles. 2. Many of these studies provide equivocal results because of designs, sample size and the other, affirmative view is 10 articles, contradictive view is 6 articles, and somewhat reservative regards are 8 articles for therapeutic effect of myofascial pain syndrome with acupuncture. 3. Suggestions on further endolphin related research, neurophysiology, biophysics and phamacology are made. 4. More clinical data would be needed to prove effects of myofascial pain syndrome with acupuncture.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.481-485
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• 2003

Experimental studies were done to research the clinical effects of Juglandis Semen aqua-acupuncture and acupuncture(BL13, BL17, BL13ㆍ17 and free points) on the anti-allergic inflammation response. The following results have been obtained ; JSAA was increased in the lymphocyte proliferation in cultured murine thymocytes and splenocytes. The production of IL-1β was decreased in Juglandis Semen aqua-acupuncture and acupuncture(BL13, BL17 and BL13ㆍ17) group. The production of IL-4 was decreased in Juglandis Semen aqua-acupuncture and acupuncture(BL13, BL17 and BL13ㆍ17) group. The production of total IgG was decreased in Juglandis Semen aqua-acupuncture(BL13 and BL13ㆍ17) and acupuncture(BL13, BL17 and BL13ㆍ17) group. According to the above results, Semen aqua-acupuncture and acupuncture(BL13, BL17 and BL13ㆍ17) both enhances the specific immune response in T and B cells and depress the allergic inflammation reaction.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.25-36
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• 2007

Objectives : Acupuncture restores the flow of vital energy in the body by stimulating the organ-specific meridians and enhances cardiac vagal activity and suppresses sympathetic activity. The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate the acupuncture studies on autonomic nervous system (ANS). Methods : We conducted a PubMed search to obtain a fair sample of acupuncture studies related ANS published in English in 2007. Each article was reviewed for study objectives and outcomes, as well as acupuncture points, experimental and control interventions. Results : We reviewed a total of 15 studies published from 1997 to 2007. In normal states, acupuncture enhanced either vagal or sympathetic tone depending on the stimulated acupuncture point sites. On the other hand, most of studies demonstrated that acupuncture restored the autonomic dysfunctions in various kinds of stressful states. Conclusions : We reviewed studies that contributed to an understanding of the autonomic mechanisms of acupuncture with the hope that this review will be of benefit to the future studies. Although the relationship between acupuncture and ANS response is still uncertain, acupuncture would be a noteworthy modality for modulating autonomic dysfunction.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.17-28
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• 2011

Objectives : Burn is the important adverse effect of the moxibustion treatment. This research does with the purpose to utilize as basic data which the results of histological observation of the burn tissue which generates when operating various commercial indirect moxa (CIM) on the skin, evaluate the burn because of the surgical operation. Methods : It operated 6 kinds of CIM on the depilated abdomen of the rat. By using the H-E staining and TUNEL assay, the image was observed and analyzed. Results : It could be the moxibustion medical treatment using the CIM generated in the first degree burn until the third degree. And in some case, burn has not generated. By using the H-E stain, the second-degree burn and third degree was observed, and it was observed the first degree burn by using TUNEL assay. In the first degree burn, TUNEL reaction in the epidermal layer was confirmed. The damage to the dermal layer was observed in more than 2 degree burn. In the third degree, the tissue degeneration to the subcutaneous fat was observed but the thickness of the skin tissue was not observed. Conclusions : Basic data classifying the burn generated by the CIM treatment through the histological observation of the burn tissue caused by the CIM treatment were built according to this research result.