• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.119-133
• /
• 2005

Traditional herbal medicine is widely used among the Korean people, and other eastern Asian countries employ similar therapies as well. In recent years, due to increasing interest in herbal medicines, many researches have been made on the toxicity and side effects of herbal medications. Through private and public media, there have been many opinions suggesting taking herbal medicines is very harmful, especially on the liver and kidney functions. This assertion has been mainly presented by the doctors that practice western medicine, But this assertion is never based on adequate knowledge of herbal medicine. This study aims to provide the evidences that taking herbal medicines is safe on the renal functions. Four frequently used herbal medications(Sipjeondaebotang, Bojungigitang, Ojeoksan, and Yukmijihwangtang) were used to test the toxicity of herbal medicine oh the lab animal model(SD-Rat). There is no significant difference in body weight and kidney weight after herbal medication for 1 month. In all experimental groups, no abnormal findings were observed in histological study, and lab renal function index(BUN, creatinine, uric acid). These results say that four herbal multi-used-medicines, when medicated, is safe from the renal toxicity in lab animal model.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.16-25
• /
• 2010

Objectives: Compliance of herbal medicine is extremely important in Korean oriental medicine, since herbal medicine is main approach to the most of outpatients in Korean pediatrics. The more compliant to the medication, the more effective care is given to children. Thus, we conducted this research to evaluate the compliance of herbal medicine, and factors associated with compliance in children. Methods: 61 children (men 28, women 33) were participated who visited the Korean Oriental Medicine Department in university hospital for two weeks. We used Morisky's self-reported questionnaire which is consisted of four questions. Also, we checked medical records and researched respondent to acquire more factors. We defined as a "full compliant" if answers were 'No' to all of the questions. We analyzed the compliance and associated factors with Pearson's $x^2$-test and Fisher's exact test, and Spearman correlation coefficient. Compliance and associated factors were analyzed with linear regression. Results: Compliance of herbal medicine was not related to respondent, and 34 children (55.7%) were non-compliant. The best compliant type of herbal medicine was granule medication (p=0.046). However, there was no relationship between compliance and age, sex, sibling, purpose of medication, period of disease, frequency of medication, and medication duration. The age, frequency of medication, medication duration, and purpose of medications(period of disease) had correlation(p<0.01). Also, older children tended to forget to take herbal medicine(p=0.004). Conclusions: Over an half of the total subjects (55.7%) were non-compliant, so we should improve compliance of herbal medicine. Since granule form of medication was shown to have the best compliance, we should try to use granule form of medication instead of liquid medications. Also, we can also improve compliance with giving attention to the patients, especially older children in order to improve their compliance.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.113-123
• /
• 2010

1. Objectives This study is about three cerebellar infarction patients with dizziness and ataxia. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Sasang constitutional treatment and suggested using the 'Equilibrium Function Test' as scale. 2. Methods These three patients were treated by Sasang constitutional herbal medications based on "Donguisusebowon". Acupuncture & moxa therapy and west medications were limited as much as possible. We evaluated the symptoms through two methods, the Visual Analogue Scale and the Equilibrium Function Test. 3. Results and Conclusions Dizziness and ataxia that were these three patients' chief complaints were improved. This case study shows that Sasang constitutional herbal medications are an effective treatment for cerebellar infarction patients.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.288-297
• /
• 2017

Objectives The purpose of this study was to report significant improvement of peripheral coldness in patient, who was diagnosed with 'Soyangin Chest-heat symptomatic pattern' and applied medication based on Sasang Constitutonal medicine. Methods The patient was treated with herbal medications, according to his own symptomatology. The objective outcome was measured by thermography and the subjective sensation was assessed by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results The symptoms of peripheral coldness improved remarkedly without any side effects. Accessory symptoms and original symptoms also changed for the better. Conclusions This results show that it is available that peripheral coldness is treated with herbal medications according to Sasang Constitutional medicine, especially ingenious in terms of the fact that some patient can be diagnosed with heat-based condition on the basis of original symptoms, although his/her chief complaint is classified as cold pattern.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.95-113
• /
• 2009

Objectives This study was investigated to find how the orally administrated Moschus, herbal combination with Moschus, and herbal combination improves the rats' memory and rats' liver. These medications are generally known asthe memory improvement. Methods This study used the Sprague Dawley rats. They were divided into two groups - SD rats and orally administrated Saline(Control group). 0.473 mg/kg Moschus(HM-A), 153.9 mg/kg herbal composition without Moschus(HM-B), and 165.95 mg/kg herbal composition with Moschus combined(HM-C) Control, saline were orally administered. Each group was trained in the eight-arm radial maze task at the conditions of before oral administrated, and also right after third, sixth, and eighth by oral administration. Lastly, these animals were killed and were tested for brain tissue and serum AST/ALT level to measure how the medications were effected to the liver function. Results The result of radial eight-arm maze task test, the HM-B and HM-C groups showed significant decrease in mistakes from the fourth day of testing. Whereas, the HM-A group showed increasing in the error rate. HM-A and HM-C group of rats had significantly increased amount of acetylcholinesterase in the CA1 region of hippocampus, compared to the control group. Whereas, HM-B and HM-C group had increased level of ChAT compared to the control group. On the other hand, each experimental group did not show any significant difference to the level of serum AST/ALT and the weight ratio of the liver to the body. Conclusions This study provided evidences that the orally administered memory improvement herbal medication, and Moschus were effective to improve memory.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 2008

This article examines the origin and growth of Jecheon Herbal Market(JHM). JHM was established in 1928 at the Jecheon Market Main causes of the growth of JHM is widely considered as the fact that it was located to the sources of herbal product, domestic or wild, and its convenient access in transportation aspect. Since the Independence of Korea, the control of the import of herbal medications from abroad served for the main factor of JHM's growth. Nowadays JHM is estimated as second to Gyungdong Herbal Market in total. However, among production-oriented markets it has been ranked first.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.55-77
• /
• 2024

Objectives This study aimed to analyze the registration status and characteristics of clinical trials on herbal medicine (HM) and medication interventions for simple obesity in children and adolescents. Methods All interventional clinical trials registered in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform of the World Health Organization until December 12, 2024, were collected. The study design, interventions, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and outcome measures were extracted. Results A total of 24 clinical trials (23 medications and 1 HM) were analyzed. The most common study designs were single-center, randomized controlled, parallel, and phase 2. Placebo controls were used in 87.5% of the studies, blinding was used in 79.1%, and quadruple blinding was the most common. Informed consent was obtained from 70.8% of the participants. Among the oral medications (66.6%), metformin was the most common (25%). Among the non-oral medications (29.1%), exenatide (Bydureon) was the most common intervention (42.8%). Body mass index was the most commonly reported primary outcome measure (79.1%), with most assessments performed at 6 months. Conclusions Based on the characteristics of the medication interventional clinical trial design analyzed in this study, additional high-quality multicenter traditional Korean medicine trials need to be designed in the future.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.181-187
• /
• 2019

This case report details induction and maintenance of remission in a 34-year-old female patient with ulcerative colitis (UC) after Korean herbal medicine treatment. The patient diagnosed as UC after a series of examinations including endoscopy in a western medical hospital mainly presented bloody diarrhea and dyspepsia and symptoms were persistent even with medications. She was given individualized Korean herbal medicine prescriptions for 7 months and the symptoms were monitored during treatment and no adverse events were reported. After clinical remission, endoscopic remission was also confirmed by colonoscopy. Clinical remission was maintained for 30 months after treatment without Western medication for UC. This case report shows that Korean herbal medicine treatment may have the potential for complete remission of UC and further research is warranted.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.361-369
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study was to review the herbal medications of asthma through clinical studies in Korea and to be utilized in the treatment of asthma and in other clinical studies. All clinical researches about asthma published up to 13th February 2018 were found in two domestic electric databases, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System(OASIS) and National Discovery for Science Library(NDSL). Twenty-seven articles were selected and of these, there were 14 articles of before and after studies(BAS), 8 of case series(CS), 4 of case reports(CR) and 1 of the randomized controlled trial(RCT). The most frequently used prescription was "Cheongsangboha-tang(淸上補下湯)". There were various TCM patterns, and Tae-Eum-In(太陰人) was the most common Sasang constitution(四象體質). Frequently used evaluations to assess treatment effects were lung function tests such as Forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) and Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adult Korean Asthmatics(QLQAKA) questionnaire responses. We have found that herbal medicine treatment can be an effective treatment to improve the symptoms and the quality of life of asthmatic patients. But we consider that large-scale systematically designed clinical researches are needed additionally.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.117-129
• /
• 2006

Insomnia is one of the most common clinical symptom those almost patients with neuropsychiatric disorder complain. and the most common cause of insomnia in neuropsychiatric disorder is the major depressive disorder. We experienced a 59 year-old male who complained of recurrent insomnia in spite of taking medicines(nervines, antidepressants, etc,) during 30 years. We had given herbal medicine, acupuncture treatment and aroma therapy with continuing medications. The patient had several sypmtoms as anxiety, agitation, feeling thirsty, chronic constipation, and etc. beside the insomnia. After the patient took the herbal medicine, especially Sam-Hwang-Sa-Sim-Tang, he could have a sound sleep and be relaxed. In this case, we concluded that oriental medical treatment can be an effective remedy of chronic insomnia that responds to neuropsychiatric medications incompletely and Sam-Hwang-Sa-Sim-Tang is effective to a kind of insomnia with agitation, anxiety, thirsty, constipation, and etc.