• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.247-254
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• 2017

The meridian theory(經絡學說) is one of the important Korean medical theories distinguishing it from western medicine. The meridian theory(經絡學說) can be divided broadly into meridians(經脈) and collaterals(絡脈). The studies on meridians(經脈) have been relatively advanced, but the studies on the collaterals(絡脈) has not been enough progressed so far. Fifteen main collaterals(十五絡脈) are the biggest and most important part of collaterals(絡脈). Unlike other collateral(絡脈), fifteen main collaterals(十五絡脈) have certain routes and their own collateral acupoints(絡穴). So we studied the structure of collateral(絡脈) mainly on fifteen main collaterals(十五絡脈). In addition, we searched the Asian symbolic-mathematical(象數學的) meaning of the fifteen main collaterals(十五絡脈) and newly described them. As a result, the concept of collaterals(絡脈) has been created by the accumulation of clinical experience later than that of meridians(經脈), and it has been formed while the meridian theory(經絡學說) were developed. The meaning of 'fifteen' in fifteen main collaterals(十五絡脈) could be analysed in three ways based on the result of symbolic-mathematical(象數 學的) study. According to those results, we could find that the structure of fifteen main collaterals(十五絡脈) in "Internal Classic(內經)" was accurate.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.72-77
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• 2020

Objectives: This study was carried out to concrete the concept of Hand Gworeum Skin referred in Suwen of Huangdi Neijing. Methods: The Hand Gworeum Meridian was labeled with latex in the body surface of the cadaver, subsequently dissecting a superficial fascia and muscular layer in order to observe internal structures. Results: Skin histologically encompasses a common integument and a immediately below superficial fascia, this study established the skin boundary with adjacent structures such as relative muscle, tendon as its compass. The realm of the Hand Gworeum Skin is as follows: The skin close to the nipple on the 4th intercostal space, the interceps of biceps brachii muscle, the cubital surface at ulnad of bicipital aponeurosis, the anterior surface of the forearm, between flexor carpi radialis and palmaris longus(from wrist crease to 5chon above), the palm between the 3rd and 4th metacarpals on the cross part with the palm crease, the radiod from the middle finger nail(or the end of middle finger). The realm of the Hand Gworeum Skin is situated on between Hand Taeeum Skin and Hand Soeum Skin in front of arm. Conclusion: The realm of Hand Gworeum Skin from the anatomical viewpoint seems to be the skin area outside the superficial fascia or the muscle involved in the pathway of the Hand Gworeum Meridian vessel, Collateral Meridian vessel, and Meridian muscle, being considered adjacent vessels or nerves at the same time.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2012

Objectives : The aim of this study was to understand the meaning of meridian in "Woegwasimbeopyogyeol (WGS)" of "The Golden Mirror of Medicine (GMM)". Methods : We compared the meaning of meridian in WGS with in Jagusimbeopyogyeol (JGS) of GMM. Results : Objectivity and clearness is obtained by inserting the meridian and collateral diagram and the partially expanded diagram in WGS and JGS. The meridian song (a quatrain with seven) in WGS is placed at the beginning of the chapter, indicating its importance. Kihyeoldaso of 12 meridians is detailed in WGS, so as to reduce the harmful effect when doctors diagnose, treat and prognose. It is important to understand the meaning of meridian When doctors treat carbunculosis. The symptoms of a disease is classified by parts and shown in diagram, which can play an important role in diagnosis. Conclusions : The WGS follows the meanings of meridian and the complementary structure in JGS.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2014

Objectives : The capillary destruction has frequently been used to treat telangiectasia in Korean Medicine. The objective of this study was to review of related literature concerning the capillary destruction as treatment for telangiectasia, and to discuss the clinical application of medical devices in accordance with the principles of Korean Medicine. Methods and Results : An extensive traditional literature including Huangdi Neijing were reviewed for identification of relevant evidence for treating telangiectasia. The telangiectasia is simply defined as a dilated, superficial blood vessel. It is called as the tertiary collateral vessel, superficial collateral vessel or Hyulrak(small superficial collateral vessel). The telangiectasia could be due to disturbances in the circulation of qi and blood. According to Huangdi Neijing, one of the oldest traditional literature published in 4th century B.C. through the first century A.D., it is needed to get rid of the vessel by the capillary destruction for treating telangiectasia using lance needle, shear needle, stiletto needle or moxibustion. Several studies have examined that intense pulsed light or laser as new therapeutic tools could have an sufficiently impact on aspects of improving the effectiveness of the capillary destruction. Conclusions : The capillary destruction for the treatment of telangiectasia has been used since two thousand years ago. We suggested that medical devices, such as intense pulsed light or laser, should be used to treat telangiectasia as a safe and convenient intervention in clinical practice of Korean Medicine.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.164-171
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to study the effects of acupuncture on Young-gol and Dae-back on night fever and investigate the meridian and collateral aspects of Dong-Si acupuncture through cases of night fever due to Yin deficiency. Methods : Patients have received acupuncture on both sides(Young-gol and Dae-back) at 10 pm. The acupuncture treatment lasted for 15 minutes. Body temperature, pulse, and Numeric Rating Scale(NRS) scores for dryness of mouth were measured for the evaluation. Results : Both patients reported symptomatic reduction including night fever, pulse rate, NRS about dry mouth following the described treatments. The night fever disappeared after acupuncture treatment. The mean of pulse rate changed from 82.6 to 74.8(case 1), from 83.5 to 74.3(case 2). The mean of NRS changed from 4.2 to 1.7(case 1), from 3.3 to 2.4(case 2). Conclusions : In both cases, acupuncture was effective in relieving night fever symptoms. This can be considered from meridian and collateral aspects and the Korean medicine physiological perspective. In the future, systematic and diverse studies related to this will be needed.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.50-54
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• 2014

Objectives: Digital infrared thermographic imaging (DITI) has been used widely for various inflammatory diseases, circulatory diseases, skin diseases, musculoskeletal diseases and cancers. In cases of ligament injury, obviously the temperature of the damaged area increases due to local inflammation; however, whether the temperature also increases due to DITI has not been determined. The purpose of the present study was to identify whether or not the changes of temperature in patient's with medial collateral ligament injury were really due to infrared thermography and to determine the applicability of DITI for assessing ligament injuries. Methods: Twenty patient's who underwent DITI for a medial collateral ligament injury from September 2012 to June 2014 were included in the current study. The thermographic images from the patient's knees were divided to cover seven sub-areas: the middle of the patella, and the inferomedial, the inferolateral, the superomedial, the superolateral, the medial, and the lateral regions of patella. The temperatures of the seven regions were measured, and the temperature differences between affected and unaffected regions were analyzed by using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results: The 20 patient's were composed of 14 women (70%) and 6 men (30%), with a mean age of $62.15{\pm}15.71$ (mean${\pm}$standard deviation (SD)) years. The temperature of the affected side, which included the middle of the patella, and the inferomedial, the superomedial, the superolateral, and the medial regions, showed a significant increase compared to that of the unaffected side (P < 0.05). The inferolateral and the lateral regions showed no significant changes. Conclusion: Our study results suggest that DITI can show temperature changes if a patient has a ligament injury and that it can be applied in the evaluation of a medial collateral ligament injury.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.423-428
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• 2017

Vestibular compensation is a recovery process from vestibular symptoms over time after unilateral loss of peripheral vestibular end organs. The aim of the present study was to observe time-dependent changes in long-term potentiation (LTP) at Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses in the CA1 area of the hippocampus during vestibular compensation. The input-output (I/O) relationships of fEPSP amplitudes and LTP induced by theta burst stimulation to Schaffer's collateral commissural fibers were evaluated from the CA1 area of hippocampal slices at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). The I/O relationships of fEPSPs in the CA1 area was significantly reduced within 1 week post-op and then showed a non-significant reduction at 1 month after UL. Compared with sham-operated animals, there was a significant reduction of LTP induction in the hippocampus at 1 day and 1 week after UL. However, LTP induction levels in the CA1 area of the hippocampus also returned to those of sham-operated animals 1 month following UL. These data suggest that unilateral injury of the peripheral vestibular end organs results in a transient deficit in synaptic plasticity in the CA1 hippocampal area at acute stages of vestibular compensation.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2006

Objectives : The aim of this study was to analyze the symptoms of a disease and to elucidate the meaning and rationale of point selection in YuLongFu. Methods : We translated YuLongFu into Korean and analyzed symptoms based upon a comparison of YuLongFu with YuLongGe. The meaning and rationale of point selection in YuLongFu was then inferred from the analysis above. Results and Conclusions : Total 46 points (6 points were repeated) were used in YuLongFu. These points included the collateral Meridian, the four seas, five shu points, lower confluent points, yuan points and eight influential points. Moxibustion and pricking blood therapy were used twice. Generally, threre are a lot of diseases caused by stagnation of Qi and blood in YuLongFu. Point selection, therefore, was usually aimed at promoting flow of Qi and blood.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1 s.61
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• pp.11-17
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• 2005

This study was carried out to identify the components of the human heart meridian muscle, the regional muscle group being divided into outer, middle, and inner layers. The inner parts of the body surface were opened widely to demonstrate muscles, nerves, blood vessels and to expose the inner structure of the heart meridian muscle in the order of layers. We obtained the following results; $\cdot$ The heart meridian muscle is composed of muscles, nerves and blood vessels. $\cdot$ In human anatomy, the difference between terms is present (that is, between nerves or blood vessels which control the meridian muscle and those which pass near by). $\cdot$ The inner composition of the heart meridian muscle in the human arm is as follows: 1) Muscle H-l: latissimus dorsi muscle tendon, teres major muscle, coracobrachialis muscle H-2: biceps brachialis muscle, triceps brachialis muscle, brachialis muscle H-3: pronator teres muscle and brachialis muscle H-4: palmar carpal ligament and flexor ulnaris tendon H-5: palmar carpal ligament & flexor retinaculum, tissue between flexor carpi ulnaris tendon and flexor digitorum superficialis tendon, flexor digitorum profundus tendon H-6: palmar carpal ligament & flexor retinaculum, flexor carpi ulnaris tendon H-7: palmar carpal ligament & flexor retinaculum, tissue between flexor carpi ulnaris tendon and flexor digitorum superficial is tendon, flexor digitorum profundus tendon H-8: palmar aponeurosis, 4th lumbrical muscle, dorsal & palmar interrosseous muscle H-9: dorsal fascia, radiad of extensor digiti minimi tendon & extensor digitorum tendon 2) Blood vessel H-1: axillary artery, posterior circumflex humeral artery H-2: basilic vein, brachial artery H-3: basilic vein, inferior ulnar collateral artery, brachial artery H-4: ulnar artery H-5: ulnar artery H-6: ulnar artery H-7: ulnar artery H-8: palmar digital artery H-9: dorsal digital vein, the dorsal branch of palmar digital artery 3) Nerve H-1: medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve, median n., ulnar n., radial n., musculocutaneous n., axillary nerve H-2: median nerve, ulnar n., medial antebrachial cutaneous n., the branch of muscular cutaneous nerve H-3: median nerve, medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve H-4: medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve, ulnar nerve H-5: ulnar nerve H-6: ulnar nerve H-7: ulnar nerve H-8: superficial branch of ulnar nerve H-9: dorsal digital branch of ulnar nerve.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.9-25
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze Methods of Acupuncture Therapies(鍼法) that are currently practiced in Korean medicine(韓醫學) and to consider the directions in further research and development. Methods : Methods of Acupuncture Therapies(鍼法) were selected based on Acupuncture Medicine textbook of College of Korean Medicine and published researches. Then, selected Methods of Acupuncture Therapies(鍼法) were categorized by characteristics. Also, the selected Methods of Acupuncture Therapies(鍼法) were comprehensively classified according to new models, Heaven-Earth-Human(天地人) model and Dimensional model. The directions of further research and development in Methods of Acupuncture Therapies(鍼法) were considered based on this. Results & Conclusions : In the categorization by characteristics, sufficient basic references were unavailable to consider the directions in further research and development. However, comprehensive classification using Heaven-Earth-Human(天地人) model and Dimensional model was able to be used as references for estimating the relative positions of each Method of Acupuncture Therapies(鍼法) and also, establishing the directions in further research and development. Regarding the results from comprehensive classification, the studies on Physiology of Four Seasons and Day and night(晝夜) are required. Besides, the acceptance of Western medical contents which include anatomical structures is unavoidable to achieve the development in Methods of Acupuncture Therapies(鍼法). In addition, it is necessary to propose researches founded on an integrated theory of Viscera and Bowels(藏府) and Meridian and Collateral(經絡) which enables to embrace the physiological function of human body. Upon this, the creation of a Four-dimensional Methods of Acupuncture Therapy(鍼法) is also required.