• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.51-55
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• 2005

Objectives: Literary investigation of existing data was conducted to verify effects of Bezoar Bovis and its herbal acupuncture, and determine quality management through component analysis. Results: Following results were obtained through literary investigation. 1. Bezoar Bovis is dried cystic stone from a cattle. Its characteristics are cool, no toxicity, and bitter taste. Known actions are: quells heat and detoxifies Fire Poison, extinguishes internal movement of Liver Wind and stops convulsion, vaporizes phlegm, and opens orifice. It is mainly used for treating tremor, stroke, delirium, sore throat, oral furuncle, boil, and others. 2. Bezoar Bovis is effective for eliminating liver toxicity, protecting against brain damage, and has anti-microbial activities. 3. Bezoar Bovis is mixed with bear gall bladder and deer musk to be used as herbal acupuncture, and this mixture is effective is invigorating liver functions as well as treating arthritis, headache, and etc. 4. Principal components of Bezoar Bovis are bilirubin-type pigments and cholic acids. The amount of bilirubin can be used as a standard to determine the quality of Bezoar Bovis.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.9 no.3 s.21
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• pp.79-88
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• 2006

Objectives : This systematic review summarizes the existing evidence on anti-tumor herbal acupuncture in South Korea. Methods : Literature searches were conducted in four databases. All studies of anti-tumor herbal acupuncture which has been published in South Korea until May, 2006 were included. Data were extracted according to pre-defined criteria by two independent reviewers. Results : We found 73 papers related to anti-tumor herbal acupuncture in South Korea. Seventy of seventy-three papers are trial research and only three papers are clinical research. Herb materials which were used in those papers are Bee-venom, Wild-ginseng, Ginseng, Houttuynia cordata Thunb, Lonicerae Flos, Carthami Tinctorii Juglans sinensis, Euphorbiae Radix, Ecliptae Herba, Crotonis Semen, Juglans sinensis, Armeniaceae Amarum, so on. From those papers, Anti-tumor herbal acupunctures are effective to tumor cell line and tumor in vivo. Clinical research papers reported that Anti-tumor herbal acupunctures are useful to improve cancer related symptoms and quality of life(QOL) of cancer patients. Conclusions : From the above results, we make sure of that anti-tumor herbal acupuncture is useful therapeutics for cancer patients. If we conceive complex-herb materials and carry out more advanced research, Anti-tumor Herbal Acupuncture is one of those major therapeutics to improve clinical symptoms and quality of life(QOL) of cancer patients.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1-17
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• 2011

Objectives : This study aimed to review randomized controlled trials of acupuncture performed in South Korea that used sham acupuncture as a control group. Methods : The following databases were searched through the end of September 2011: Koreanstudies information service system (KISS), Korean medical database (KMbase), national discovery OR science leaders (NDSL), oriental medicine advance searching integrated system (OASIS), and research information service system (RISS). The following search terms were used: acupuncture AND (sham or placebo). The reference lists of searched articles and Korea institute of oriental medicine (KIOM) reports(2005~2009) were identified. The following data were extracted: year/first author, disease, number of participants, blinding, intervention, outcome, and result. Where appropriate, we performed meta-analysis. The methodological quality was assessed according to the Jadad scale and 'risk of bias' by Cochrane Handbook procedure. Results : Twenty-nine studies were included in this review. In eighteen studies, penetrating sham controls were used as the control intervention, whereas the remaining eleven studies adopted non-penetrating sham controls such as the Park Sham Device or blunt auricular acupuncture. Nine studies showed statistically significant difference in outcomes. Twelve studies concerning insomnia after stroke, chronic tension-type headache, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Hwa-Byung, and smoking cessation were included in meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of insomnia after stroke only found significant difference(MD -4.31, 95% Cl -6.19 to -2.42, $p$<0.00001). In general, all of the studies showed low methodological quality(Jadad score: mean 2.1). Risk of bias by Cochrane Handbook procedure varied. Conclusions : The results of this study could not suggest conclusive evidence that acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture in several diseases. In the future, more studies with rigorous acupuncture trials using sham controls should be conducted.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.193-195
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• 2004

Objective : In March 2004, the second Informal Consultation Meeting on Development of International Standard of Acupuncture Point Locations was held in Beijing, China. Methods: Thirteen experts from WHO, Korea, China, and Japan attended the meeting, and they discussed the problems to establish an international standard of acupuncture point locations for education, research and quality of acupuncture treatment. Results and Conclusions : Based on the fundamental principles of respecting and reality, they recommended to determined the location of acupuncture points in the way of combining documentary analysis, clinical practices and factual measurements.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2024

This review aims to analyze the efficacy of acupotomy in treating superior cluneal nerve entrapment syndrome (SCNES) by summarizing the findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The RCTs were retrieved from seven databases (i.e., the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Service System, and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System). Seven RCTs were selected for this review. The results indicate that acupotomy is promising for providing significant pain relief and improving function in patients with SCNES. However, more high-quality RCTs are required to establish the long-term effectiveness and safety of acupotomy. This review provides valuable insights for clinicians and researchers in the management of SCNES.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.180-190
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• 2004

Objectives : To present criteria for acupuncture standardization, which will improve quality of acupuncture and secure safety, through studies of the biocompatibility of acupuncture materials. Methods : Acupuncture needles distributed in Korea were studied. Intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests were executed to study the biocompatibility of acupuncture. Results & Conclusions : All 4 kinds of acupuncture needles distributed in Korea were found suitable for medical use, through intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests. However, the medical instrument standards of the Korea Food and Drug Administration lack criteria concerning intracutaneous reaction tests and sterility tests. The criteria for these tests should be standardized in order to secure the biocompatibility of acupuncture needles.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2023

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a disease that narrows the spinal canal, causing neurological symptoms. To date, there have been several reports on traditional Korean medicine treatments for OPLL; however, there is no study on complex acupuncture treatment. Herein, we report 2 cases of cervical OPLL involving cervical pain, upper limb radiating pain, and hypoesthesia. The patients were diagnosed using C-spine computed tomography and did not receive any treatment at any other hospital. The patients were treated with acupuncture treatments, including electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and acupotomy, at Daegu Korean Medicine Hospital at Daegu Haany University. The results were assessed using the visual analog scale, neck disability index, and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores, and the results indicated an improvement in the symptoms. Thus, this study demonstrated that complex acupuncture treatment may be helpful for treating cervical OPLL and improving the quality of life.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.131-139
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• 2019

Background: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between heat transmission and intervention factors for warm acupuncture (such as features of acupuncture material and moxa, the treatment method, and clinical symptoms). Methods: Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese databases were analysed. Experimental studies that explored the association between thermal stimulation delivery and warm acupuncture intervention factors were included. The peak temperature, time to reach the peak temperature, and time of the effective stimulus, were set as the major parameters and analysed. Results: A total of 12 studies were included. Two studies were associated with the acupuncture needle material, 4 studies associated with the moxa mass, 1 study associated with the moxa density, 2 studies associated with the location of ignition, and 1 study associated with treatment environment were reviewed. The reporting quality of the 12 studies was low. Conclusion: This study provided limited information because of the heterogeneity of materials and parameters depending on each experiment. Further studies should clarify the correlation between heat transmission and intervention factors for warm acupuncture.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.312-319
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• 2021

Background: Lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (LHIVD) is a frequently presented condition/disease in Korean medical institutions. In this study, the economics of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial comparing TEA with sham TEA (STEA). Methods: This economic evaluation was analyzed from a limited social perspective, and the per-protocol set was from a basic analysis perspective. The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on the change in visual analog scale score, and the cost-utility analysis was based on the quality-adjusted life years. The final results were expressed as the average cost-effectiveness ratio and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and furthermore sensitivity analysis was performed to confirm the robustness of the results observed. Results: The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that TEA was 9,908 won lower than STEA, while the decrease in 100 mm visual analog scale score was 8.5 mm greater in the TEA group compared with the STEA group (p > 0.05). The cost-utility analysis showed that TEA was 9,908 won lower than STEA, while the quality-adjusted life years of TEA was 0.0026 years higher than STEA (p > 0.05). These results were robust in the sensitivity analysis, but were not statistically significant. Conclusion: In treating LHIVD, TEA appeared to have cost-effectiveness and cost-utility compared with STEA. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of cost, effectiveness, and utility indicators. Therefore, results must be interpreted prudently; this study was the 1^st to conduct an economic evaluation of TEA for LHIVD.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.205-217
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• 2008

Background : One of the characteristics of acupuncture, a popular modality for treating musculoskeletal pain, is a plurality in diagnosis and treatment that can profoundly influence the treatment outcome. This multiplicity in treatment modality has to be considered in any research on the effectiveness of acupuncture. Many practitioners stress the necessity for individualized patient treatment, including acupuncture point selection and manipulation technique. However, the importance of individualization in acupuncture treatment, compared with standardization, has received little attention in clinical trials. The aim of the future study described here is therefore to compare the effectiveness of individualized acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis with standardized acupuncture and no acupuncture in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods : A total of 195 patients aged 50 years and over with knee pain, will be randomly divided into three treatment groups: individualized acupuncture, standardized acupuncture, and waiting list. Outcome data will be collected through patient.completed questionnaires before randomization, and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after randomization. The questionnaires will be investigated demographic details as well as information on pain, movement and function of the affected knee, general health and quality of life. Discussion : This paper presents details on the rationale, design, and methods of the trial.