• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of complex Korean medicine treatment especially Buja-tang and Aconitum ciliare decaisne pharmacopuncture on patients with type 1 complex regional pain syndrome caused after a traffic accident. The patients was treated with Buja-tang, Aconitum ciliare decaisne pharmacupuncture, acupuncture and physical therapy during 20 days of hospitalization. Numerical rating scale (NRS), short form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), body temperature measurement of the foot, manual muscle test (MMT) were used for assessment. After treatments, NRS of burning pain in the left ankle decreased from 8 to 4-5 and NRS of burning pain in the right ankle decreased from 7 to 4-5. Also, SF-MPQ results, foot temperature measurement and MMT showed improvement during hospitalization. This study shows that complex Korean medicine treatment especially Buja-tang and Aconitum ciliare decaisne pharmacopuncture are effective in alleviating symptoms in patients with type 1 complex regional pain syndrome.

• Journal of TMJ Balancing Medicine
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• v.13 no.sup
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• pp.15-20
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• 2023

Objectives: This case is to report the effect of TMJ balancing therapy (TBT) and combined Korean Medicine (CKM) on a 15-year-old male patient with suspected cervical dizziness of unknown causes. Methods: He was treated with TBT and CKM included Yin-yang Balancing Therapy of TMJ, pelvic balancing therapy, cervical chuna therapy once a week for 3 months. He continued to wear accurate balancing appliance (ABA) in the mouth, did 12-way cervical gravity straightening exercise and took banhabakchulchunma-tang-gamibang for 3 months. The effects of treatment was evaluated using the numerical rating scale (NRS). Results: After the treatments, dizziness was relieved from NRS 7 to NRS 1. Conclusions: This case report suggests that TBT and CKM treatments can relieve suspected cervical dizziness of unknown causes.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.253-263
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• 2017

Regardless of whether it is acute or chronic, the assessment of pain should be simple and practical. Since the intensity of pain is thought to be one of the primary factors that determine its effect on a human's overall function and sense, there are many scales to assess pain. The aim of the current article was to review pain intensity scales that are commonly used in dental and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Previous studies demonstrated that multidimensional scales, such as the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Short form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire were suitable for assessing chronic pain, while unidimensional scales, like the Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), Verbal descriptor scale, Verbal rating scale, Numerical rating Scale, Faces Pain Scale, Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBS), and Full Cup Test, were used to evaluate acute pain. The WBS is widely used to assess pain in children and elderly because other scales are often difficult to understand, which could consequently lead to an overestimation of the pain intensity. In dental or OMFS research, the use of the VAS is more common because it is more reliable, valid, sensitive, and appropriate. However, some researchers use NRS to evaluate OMFS pain in adults because this scale is easier to use than VAS and yields relatively similar pain scores. This review only assessed pain scales used for post-operative OMFS or dental pain.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.298-304
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• 2016

Objective: : This clinical study reports on the effect of Sunghyangjungki-san-gami and Banhabaeckchulchunma-tang-gami on hemiplegia, dizziness, and hiccupping caused by pontine infarction.Methods: This study was performed on one patient with hemiplegia, dizziness, and hiccupping caused by pontine infarction. The patient was treated by Sunghyangjungki-san-gami and Banhabaeckchulchunma-tang-gami from 6 January to 2 March 2015. The National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS), motor grade, and numerical rating scale (NRS) were used to assess the effectiveness of this treatment.Results: After treatment, the patient’s discomfort decreased significantly, and NIHSS, motor grade, and NRS scores were all improved.Conclusion: This clinical study suggests that traditional Korean medicine may be effective in treating hemiplegia, dizziness, and hiccupping caused by pontine infarction.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.923-930
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of combined Korean medical treatment on chronic headache with digestive symptoms. Methods: We collected data from October to December 2020 and evaluated the efficacy of combined Korean medical treatment using the Korean Headache Impact Test-g (KHIT-6), European Quality of Life Five Dimensions (EQ5D) Scale, and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at admission, after two weeks of hospitalization, and on discharge. Results: At the end of treatment, the patient had increased EQ5D and reduced KHIT-6 and NRS scores. Conclusions: After the combined Korean medical treatment, the patient showed improvement, suggesting the efficacy of treatment.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.261-273
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to introduce effects of Chukyu pharmacopuncture and Brainspotting on knee pain, headaches, and acute stress disorder of a patient with a traffic accident. We treated a patient with Chukyu pharmacopuncture and Brainspotting. Numerical rating scale (NRS), Range of Motion (ROM), Hyperextension Position (HEP), Effusion (Eff), Patella Compression Test (PCT), Frontal Flexion Position (FFP), McMurray (MCM), Lateral Joint Line Tenderness (LJLT), Medial Joint Line Tenderness (MJLT), Anterior Drawer Test (ADT), Lachman Test, Varus/Valgus stress, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Core Seven Emotions Inventory Short Form (CSEI-S), Subjective units of disturbance scale (SUDs), and Heart rate variability (HRV) were used to evaluate the patient. After the patient was treated by Chukyu pharmacopuncture and Brainspotting, the patient showed improvement in NRS, physical examination, and psychological symptom assessment. These results indicate that Chukyu pharmacopuncture and Brainspotting are effective on knee pain, headache, and acute stress disorder after a traffic accident.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.78-89
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• 2023

This paper presents the clinical outcome of an 82-year-old female who experienced sudden back pain combined with lower limb paresthesia and weakness after epidural steroid injection. The magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracolumbar spine showed a spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) extending from T8 to L4. She was treated non-operatively in the traditional Korean medicine (TKM) hospital. The patient's progress was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), American Spinal Injury Association (ASIS), Spinal Cord Independence Measure version III (SCIM III), and self-reported symptoms. During the 22-day hospitalization period,the NRS score decreased from 7 to 2 points, the motor score on the ASIS scale increased from 65 to 95 points. The subjective sense of lower extremities was felt by 1 increased to 8. The SCIM III score increased from 32 to 69 points. These results suggest that TKM could effectively reduce pain and aid the rehabilitation of patients with SEH.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.803-813
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• 2023

Objective: This case report outlines an investigation into the efficacy of Korean medicine treatment in a patient who presented with acute cholangitis accompanying common bile duct stones. The patient underwent percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage and subsequently experienced resolution of the common bile duct stones. Methods: The patient was treated with Shihosogan-tang, general acupuncture, ear acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping therapy. Changes in symptoms were evaluated using a self-reported numerical rating scale (NRS) score and a visual analog scale (VAS) score each morning. Laboratory tests were conducted to examine serum amylase, serum lipase, and liver function. Results: After 29 days, the NRS scores for indigestion and fatigue and the VAS score for abdominal pain all decreased. Additionally, the laboratory test results showed improvement. Discussion: The results suggest that Korean medicine could be effective in treating symptoms of acute cholangitis. However, further research is necessary.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.217-226
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• 2024

Objective : The efficacy of sciatic nerve decompression via transgluteal approach for entrapment of the sciatic nerve at the greater sciatic notch, called piriformis syndrome, and factors affecting the surgical outcome were analyzed. Methods : The outcome of pain reduction was analyzed in 81 patients with sciatic nerve entrapment who underwent decompression through a transgluteal approach. The patients were followed up for at least 6 months. The degree of pain reduction was analyzed using a numerical rating scale-11 (NRS-11) score and percent pain relief before and after last follow-up following surgery. Success was defined by at least 50% reduction in pain measured via NRS-11. To assess the degree of subjective satisfaction, a 10-point Likert scale was used. In addition, demographic characteristics, anatomical variations, and variations in surgical technique involving sacrotuberous ligamentectomy were analyzed as factors that affect the surgical outcome. Results : At a follow-up of 17.5±12.5 months, sciatic nerve decompression was successful in 50 of 81 patients (61.7%), and the pain relief rate was 43.9±34.17. Subjective improvement based on a 10-point Likert scale was 4.90±3.43. Among the factors that affect the surgical outcome, only additional division of the sacrotuberous ligament during piriformis muscle resection played a significant role. The success rate was higher in the scarotuberous ligementectomy group (79.4%) than in the non-resection group (42.6%), resulting in statistically significant difference based on average NRS-11 score, percent pain relief, and subjective improvement (p<0.05, independent t-test). Conclusion : Sciatic nerve decompression is effective in pain relief in chronic sciatica due to sciatic nerve entrapment at the greater sciatic notch. Its effect was further enhanced by circumferential dissection of the sciatic nerve based on the compartment formed by the piriformis muscle and the sacrotuberous ligament in the greater sciatic notch.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1071-1082
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study is to report the efficacy of using Korean medicine treatment with cold hypersensitivity of the hands and feet with lumbar spinal herniated intervertebral disc. Case presentation: We used Korean medicine treatment (Gyejigabuja-tang, acupuncture) to treat a hospitalized patient with cold hypersensitivity of the hands and feet with lumbar spinal herniated intervertebral disc. To evaluate the treatment, we used the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The degree of cold hypersensitivity of the hands and feet was also evaluated using evaluation paper. The generic health status was measured using the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) scale. The 31-year-old female underwent 13 days of inpatient treatment. Her pattern identification was that both hands and feet are cold (BiYangHeo) types. The treatments were herbal medicine and acupuncture. She took Gyejigabuja-tang for 13 days. She also received acupuncture for 20 minutes twice a day at LI11 (曲池), L14 (合谷), TE5 (外關) on her hands, LR3 (太衝), SP6 (三陰交), SP9 (陰陵泉) ST36 (足三里), GB41 (足臨泣) on Feet, GV4 (命門), GV3 (腰陽關), BL23 (腎兪), BL24 (氣海兪), BL25 (大腸兪), and BL26 (關元兪) on the low back. After 2 weeks of treatment, the NRS scale of her cold hypersensitivity of hands and feet symptoms dropped from NRS 7 to NRS 3, and her low back pain dropped from NRS 6 to NRS 3. Her cold hypersensitivity of hands and feet evaluation paper score decreased from 64 to 32, and her EQ-5D increased from 0.487 to 0.681. After the end of treatment, continued symptom improvements and no significant side effects were confirmed. Results: These findings suggest that Korean medical treatment (Gyejigabuja-tang, acupuncture) may be effective for treating cold hypersensitivity of hands and feet with lumbar spinal herniated intervertebral disc. The NRS, evaluation paper, and EQ-5D scores improved after treatment, with no side effects.