Abstract
Objectives The purpose of this study is to understand formation courses of the ten types of LBP (十種腰痛) in Korean medicine through reviewing classic literatures. Methods We summarized sentences describing syndrome differentiation of LBP directly in Uibujeonrok (醫部全錄) and Donguibogam (東醫寶鑑), and then organized similarities and differences among diagnostic factors described in the classic literatures. Results In most of the classics LBP was classified according to the cause but the causes varied depending on the classic literatures. Cheonkeumbang (千金方) tried to suggest a reasonable classification of LBP in a relatively early age. In Dangyesimbeop (丹溪心法) the causes of LBP were divided into 6 factors; qi movement stagnation (氣鬱), dampness-heat (濕熱), kidney deficiency (腎虛), static blood (瘀血), sprain (挫閃) and phlegm accumulation (積痰). It had a lot of influence on the classic literatures published later. Donguibogam was also influenced by the Dangyesimbeop and the ten types of LBP in Donguibogam was similar to the information on the classification shown in Uihakipmun (醫學入門) and Uijongpildok (醫宗必讀). Conclusions We verified universality of the ten types of LBP; kidney deficiency, phlegm-retained fluid (痰飮), food accumulation (食積), sprain, static blood, wind (風), cold (寒), dampness (濕), dampness-heat and qi (氣).