• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.108-116
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• 2023

Objectives: This study is to report the usefulness of ultrasound in diagnosing plantar fasciitis and the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided bee venom pharmacopuncture as a treatment of it. Methods: A 61-year-old woman suffered from plantar fasciitis on her right foot for 1 month. The sonographic findings were fascial thickening, blurring of perifascial border and perifascial effusion. The ultrasound-guided bee venom pharmacopuncture for 6 times and conventional Korean medicine therapies like acupuncture and moxibustion for 12 times in 5 weeks. Numeric rating scale (NRS) and foot function index(FFI) was used to evaluate the pain and its progress. and thickness of plantar fascia was measured by sonography every week. Results: After treatments, NRS and FFI were reduced from 10 to 1 and from 190 to 72. The thickness of fascia was reduced from 0.43cm to 0.40. Blurring and effusion of perifascial border were also improved. Conclusion: This report suggests that the Ultrasound-guided Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture is effective for Plantar Fasciitis. Ultrasonography could be one of the most valuable items in the clinical practice of Korean medicine doctors who seek minimally invasive treatment.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.536-543
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to report the effectiveness of Hoeeum Bee-venom Therapy and Balio Acupuncture Treatment in the management of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Methods: A patient with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome underwent Korean medical treatment, including Hoeeum Bee-venom Therapy and Balio Acupuncture Treatment. The severity of symptoms was assessed with a daily visual analog scale (VAS) for orchialgia and lower abdominal pain. In addition, we measured the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) on the first and last days of visit. Results: The patient's symptoms were improved after treatment. The severity of orchialgia was reduced from VAS7 to VAS2, and lower abdominal pain was improved from VAS6 to VAS1. NIH-CPSI decreased from 21 to 5. Conclusion: Hoeeum Bee-venom Therapy and Balio Acupuncture Treatment are effective in treating chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.151-164
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• 2008

Objectives : This study was designed to compare the effects on Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(KWOMAC), 36-ltems Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36), Visual Analog Scale(VAS) and Nine Point Scale between 'Intramuscular Bee Venom Herbal Acupuncture' and 'Intracutaneous Bee Venom Herbal Acupuncture' in knee osteoarthritis patients for 4weeks. Methods : All the voluntary subject were diagnosed as knee osteoarthritis. Patients were randomly assigned either to two groups : Intramuscular bee venom herbal acupuncture treatment group(IM-BV group) or Intracutaneous bee venom herbal acupuncture treatment group(IC-BV group). The IM-BV group received bee venom herbal acupuncture intramuscularly on muscles closest to the pathologic site on ultrasonography. The IC-BV group received bee venom herbal acupuncture intracutaneously on $LE_{110}$, $LE_{201}$, $ST_{35}$, $ST_{36}$ and $LR_8$. Bee venom herbal acupuncture was applied twice a week for 4 weeks by an oriental medical doctor at Kyung-hee Oriental Medical Hospital. Both groups were checked of pathologic site by ultrasonography before treatment and follow up after four-week treatment. The patients were assessed by KWOMAC and SF-36 before and after four-week treatment. The changes in patients' pain was measured by VAS before treatment and after one-, two-, three- and four-week treatment. The patients' overall treatment outcome assesment was measured by Nine Point Scale after four-week treatment. Results : The results were as follows ; 1. The IM-BV group showed significant improvement on total, pain, stiffness and physical function in KWOMAC, and the IC-BV group showed significant improvement on total and physical function in KWOMAC after 4weeks compared to the pre-treatment. In KWOMAC, the IM-BV group showed more improvement on average compared to the IC-BV group, but there were no significant difference between two groups. 2. The IM-BV group showed significant improvement on VAS after one-week treatment. The IC-BV group showed significant improvement on VAS after two-week treatment. But there were no significant difference between two groups. 3. The IM-BV group showed significant improvement on physical functioning(PF) and bodily pain(BP) in SF-36, and the IC-BV group showed significant improvement on vitality(VT) and bodily pain(BP) in SF-36 after 4weeks compared to the pre-treatment. But there were no significant difference between two groups. 4. 88.2% of IM-BV group and 93.3% of IC-BV group graded their improvement as 'Fair' or better on Nine Point Scale. But there were no significant difference between two groups. Conclusions : This study suggests that in the treatment of knee osteoarthtitis patients, effects of 'Intramuscular Bee Venom Herbal Acupuncture' were not different from 'Intracutaneous Bee Venom Herbal Acupuncture' statistically. But both treatment showed effects on pain and physical function in knee osteoarthtitis patients.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.19-36
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• 2004

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Bee Venom and Melittin Solution on the lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and sodium nitroprusside(SNP)-induced expression of prostaglandin $E_2(PGE_2)$, cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2), nuclear factor kappa B($NF-{\kappa}B$) and nuclear factor kappa B($NF-{\kappa}B$) dependent luciferase activity in RAW 264.7 cells, a murine macrophage cell line. Methods : The expression of PGE2 was determined by determination of $PEG_2$, COX-2 was by western blotting with corresponding antibodies, $NF-{\kappa}B$ was by gel mobility shift assay method and $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent luciferase activity was investigated by luciferase assay in RAW 264.7 cells. Results : 1. LPS and SNP-induced expression of $PEG_2$ was significant after 24hour. 2. The 0.5, 1 and $5{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom and the 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of melittin solution inhibited significantly LPS-induced expression of $PEG_2$ and, the $5{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom and the 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of melittin solution inhibited significantly SNP-induced expression of $PEG_2$ compared with control, respectively. The 0.5 and $1{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom could not significantly inhibit SNP-induced expression of $PEG_2$ compared with control. 3. The $5{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom and the 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of melittin solution inhibited significantly LPS and SNP-induced expression of COX-2 compared with control, respectively. The 0.5 and $1{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom inclined to decrease LPS and SNP-induced expression of COX-2 compared with control. 4. The 0.5, 1 and $5{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom and the 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of melittin solution inhibited significantly LPS and SNP-induced expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ compared with control, respectively. 5. The 0.5, 1 and $5{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom and the 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of melittin solution inhibited significantly LPS-induced expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent luciferase activity and the 1 and $5{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom and the 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of melittin solution inhibited significantly SNP-induced expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent luciferase activity compared with control, respectively. The $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibitor also inhibited significantly LPS and SNP-induced expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent luciferase activity compared with control. 6. The 0.5, 1 and $5{\mu}g/mL$ of bee venom and the 5 and $10{\mu}g/mL$ of melittin solution inhibited significantly LPS + IFN-${\gamma}$, TNF-${\alpha}$ and LPS + TNF-${\alpha}$-induced expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent luciferase activity compared with control, respectively. The $NF-{\kappa}B$ inhibitor also inhibited significantly LPS and SNP-induced expression of $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent luciferase activity compared with control. Conclusions : These results suggest the inhibitory action of bee venom and melittin solution on the inflammatory mediators such as $PEG_2$, COX-2 and $NF-{\kappa}B$.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.19-26
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• 2006

Bee venom is synthesized in the venom gland's of worker and queen bees and stored in their venom sacs. Bee venom is a rich source of enzymes, peptides and biogenic amines. there are at least 18 active components in the venom which have some pharmaceutical properties. This study was performed to evaluate minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of bee venom against bacteria isolated from pjgs and chickens with disease. In case of reference strains, the MIC $({\mu}g/m{\ell})$ of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, and Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 6538 were 64, 64 and 32, respectively. In case of bacteria isolated from pig and chicken, the MIC of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus chromogenes were 8, 128 and 128, and that of 11 strains of Escherichia coli were 8 to >512 and that of 8 strains of Salmonella sup were >512. Antibacterial resistance test of 22 strains isolated from pig and chicken and 3 reference strains were performed by agar gel diffusion method, using 17 antibacterial drugs including penicillin, cefazolin, tetracycline and quinolone group. The multiple drug resistant patterns were found in most strains isolated from pig and chicken.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1 s.69
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• pp.11-24
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• 2007

Objectives : Hemiplegic shoulder pain is one of the common sequelae of stroke. Although many different methods of treatment are applied, none have yet been proved to be effective. In this study we assessed the effectiveness of bee venom in patients with shoulder pain after stroke. Methods : This study was a double blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. All subjects received either 0.6 ml bee venom injection (venom:saline = 1:10000) or 0.6ml physiological saline solution (placebo) at three acupoints. The effectiveness was assessed by visual analogue scale, pain rating score, Fugl-Meyer assessment and passive external rotation. Results : There were 24 patients in the venom group and 22 patients in the placebo group. The venom group5,hewed more effectiveness in VAS and PRS than the placebo group. Conclusions : This study suggests that bee venom injection has significant analgesic effect on hemiplegic shoulder pain. Further study based on multi-centers, larger population, and long term 1311ow-up is needed to confirm this suggestion.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.173-176
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• 2020

Sweet bee venom (SBV) causes less hypersensitivity reactions compared with whole bee venom. To determine the appropriate SBV initial dose for pharmacopuncture treatment of lower back pain, the initial dose, and the dose which caused hypersensitivity were retrospectively reviewed between January 1^st, 2017 and December 31^st, 2019. There were 523 first-visit patients who received SBV pharmacopuncture for lower back pain and 41 showed hypersensitivity. No systemic reactions were observed and localized reactions were not severe. Hypersensitivity was observed during the first (7 cases), and fifth treatments (8 cases). An initial SBV (10%) volume of 0.1 mL was used in 2 cases, 0.2 mL in 6 cases, 0.6 mL in 41 cases, and 1.2 mL in 474 cases. The hypersensitivity rate during the first and fifth treatment was 1.34% and 1.53%, respectively. As a result, 1.2 mL of SBV was considered the acceptable initial dose. However, for safer treatment, we recommend limiting the initial dose of SBV to 0.5 mL.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2009

Objective: There is a case reports on treatment of elbow pain and dysfunction in patients diagnosed as Tennis elbow. We report the Bee venom Acupunure Theraphy about under using elbow pain and dysfunction in patients diagnosed as Tennis elbow got a good remedial value. Methods : The patients diagnosed as Tennis elbow and treated mainly with Bee venom Acupunture Therapy. Results & Conclusions : Symptoms of the patient such as elbow pain and dysfunction were improved after above treatments. So, it is suggested that oriental medical treatment(Bee venom) are effective on Tennis elbow.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.137-141
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• 2011

Objectives : To report the patient in pregnancy with external epicondylitis, who improved by acupuncture and bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy. Methods : The patient was treated by acupuncture and bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy on external epicondylitis. The improvement of the symptom was evaluated by visual analog scale(VAS) and grip strength. Results and Conclusions : After treatment, VAS and grip strength were significantly improved. In this case, we found that the acupuncture and bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy is effective for external epicondylitis.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was performed to evaluate the effect of Bee Venom Acupuncture Therapy on Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. Methods : The patient was diagnosed as Lumbar Spinal Stenosis through Lumbar spine MRI and treated with Bee Venom Acupuncture Therapy and so on and measured of VAS and ODI score to evaluate treatment effects. Results and Conclusions : ROM of Lumbar, Milgram test and sensory test has improved. VAS and ODI score were also decreased.