• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.96-106
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• 2024

This study aimed to provide the basis of treatment effects by analyzing randomized control trials (RCTs) on the use of thread embedding acupuncture (TEA) for low back pain that were published between February 2018 and July 2023. In total, 2,865 articles were retrieved from international and Korean databases. Nine of these articles were selected and evaluated based on the following categories: (1) year of publication, (2) type of disease, (3) sample size, (4) treatment interventions, (5) treatment frequency and duration, (6) insertion point and depth of thread embedding, (7) types and sizes of threads and needles, (8) evaluation indexes, (9) treatment outcomes, and (10) side effects. The risk of bias in RCTs was also assessed. This study also emphasizes the importance of further research on TEA for clinical treatment and the use of objective approaches. Furthermore, detailed method descriptions and results are important in determining the efficacy of TEA.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.634-642
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• 2012

Objectives : The aim of the study is to find out whether effect of acupuncture is depending on the diameter of needle, which is a possible component of dose of acupuncture needling. Methods : To compare acupuncture effects in different diameters of needle, we measured the changes in muscle fatigue recovery using surface electromyogram(sEMG) in healthy 8 volunteers. Muscle fatigue was induced by 20 times sit-up for 1 min. Immediately after induction of muscle fatigue, acupuncture needle was inserted into ST36 or ST25 for 10 min by diameters of 0.20 mm, 0.30 mm, or 0.40 mm needles. The sEMG recording was followed by acupuncture for 30 min. As a control group, sEMG was recorded for the same period at rest after muscle fatigue induction. Results : In both of ST 36 and ST 25, stimulation with 0.4 mm diameter needle showed significant rapid recovery followed by short period of muscle fatigue increase. Stimulation with 0.2 mm diameter significantly suppressed the increase of muscle fatigue. Conclusions : These data suggest that acupuncture effect is, at least in part, dependent on diameter of needle. Therefore, diameter of needle is also considered to achieve effective outcome of acupuncture.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.238-243
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• 2018

Background: Various factors can alter the efficacy of acupuncture treatment, such as the location of points, manipulations, depth of insertion, needle retention time, and needle type. In this study, the effect of needle diameter on the efficacy of acupuncture treatment was quantitatively evaluated. Methods: Five acupuncture needles of different diameters used in clinical practice were compared. Force on the porcine tissue phantom was measured using a sensor. Lifting-thrusting and twisting-rotating movements were performed using a needle insertion-measurement system. After repeated measurements, force magnitude was calculated and compared. Following this, we correlated needle diameter and force magnitude during lifting-thrusting and twisting-rotating movements. Results: The force magnitude was significantly altered between needle diameters during lifting-thrusting movements, as shown by a significant positive correlation between needle diameter and force magnitude. In contrast, there was no difference in force magnitude with different needle diameters during twisting-rotating movements. Conclusion: Needle diameter can significantly affect stimuli and force magnitude dependent upon the type of manipulation. Research into the effect of other needle type characteristics and stimulation method is necessary to fully elucidate the role of acupuncture needle choice in treatment efficacy.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.65-80
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• 2008

Objective : In recent years, many investigators have questioned whether the analgesic effect of acupuncture is simply related to the stress-induced analgesia (SIA). However, there has been lack of studies on this issue. In this study, the stress levels induced by manual acupunctures are compared with the stress in animal experiment models. The experiments have been carried out with Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Method : For stress level evaluation, Hot plate test has been used. Maximum Possible Effect (MPE) has been measured by checking the pre-test time and post-test time. Cortisol and corticosterone concentrations in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results : In the hot plate test, MPE values of post-test time were significantly decreased after 10 minutes than after 5 minutes. Therefore, optimal time interval was chosen as 10 minutes. There was significant difference of MPE values between Suspension group and all other treatment groups. However, there were no significant differences of MPE values between Sham group and all other treatment groups. However, MPE values showed tendency to decrease when acupuncture needle diameter increased. MPE values of ST040, ST040(lido), NAP040(lido) groups were markedly decreased than that of Suspension group, while that of NAP040 group was substantially increased than that of Sham group increased in acupoint and nonacupoint models. Serum cortisol concentrations of treatment groups were not significantly different from that of Suspension and Sham groups. Serum corticosterone concentration of 0.25 mm group was substantially increased than that of compared with Sham group. Serum cortisol and corticosterone concentrations of treatment groups were not significantly different from those of Suspension and Sham groups in acupoint and nonacupoint models. Conclusion : From hot plate test and serum stress hormones concentrations, it is found that manual acupuncture treatment induces negligible stress or SIA on ST36. And the stress induced by manual acupuncture is more closely related to acupuncture point needlings than diameters of acupuncture needles.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.9-17
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• 2011

Objectives : Contradictions for Oncology acupuncture were searched and reviewed to establish fundamentals for the appropriate contraindication guideline. Methods : In order to search contraindications for oncology acupuncture, domestic journals, books and online database of Pubmed were searched using the terms, cancer, tumor, acupuncture, safety, contraindications and guideline were below. Results : We found 7 papers and 1 book by the above methods. We reviewed and suggested the contraindications. Contraindications for oncology acupuncture are neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count : ANC less than $500/mm^3$), thrombocytopenia (platelets less than $50,000/mm^3$), anticoagulant use, spinal instability, tumour nodule, lymphedema, prosthesis, intracranial deficits, confused patients, significant arrhythmia, patient refusal to treatment, severe neurotic patients and intracardiac defribillator. Contraindications for using semi-permanent needles are neutropenia (ANC less than $500/mm^3$), splenectomy, valvular heart disease, B, C hepatitis and keloids. Conclusions : Acupuncture for cancer patients pose significant risks but these guidelines are proposed in the hopes of providing certain boundaries in practicing oncology acupuncture. A more systematic and rigorous research is needed to establish a more reliable oncology acupuncture guidelines.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 2024

This study evaluated a case of trigeminal nerve stimulation during acupotomy at a site 5 pun left of GV16. The study participant was a 52-year-old male suffering from upper neck pain and numbness, which was managed by acupotomy at a site 5 pun left of GV16. During acupotomy, the patient experienced unexpected numbness and stiffness of the left zygomatic bone. This area corresponds to the distribution of the maxillary nerve, which is the second branch of the trigeminal nerve. After approximately one month, symptoms of numbness and stiffness disappeared without rendering medical treatment. These side effects are presumed to be associated with the trigeminocervical complex and stimulation of the trigeminal nucleus within the spinal cord. Thus, during the acupotomy of the upper neck, especially at GV16, the needles should be inserted slowly, and the patient's response should also be monitored.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.87-102
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• 1997

YAKCHIM is a clinical research of korean O.M.D's in the 1960's, and it was activated by experimental research and organization of the association after 1980. YAKCHIM in Korea is a new technical therapy that used the efficacy of traditional herb and the stimulation of meridian at points by needles. In order to search the original form of YAKCHIM and the significance of development in therapeutic methodology, reger to various documents. The results were obtained as follow : 1. The form of injection in YAKCHIM is a developed form of a aspirator which trace the cupping therapy(附缸) to its origin. 2. The injection techniques that used extracts of oriental herb can be found out original methodology in Bee-acupuncture(蜂針) and snake teeth etc. that have been used in far-eastern area from long time ago. 3. YAKCHIM in Korea is a developed form of techniques which was combined with the meridian theory, in consequence, it is difference with an injection syringe which only used to injection in modern medicine.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2023.11a
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• pp.563-565
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• 2023

Acupuncture and acupressure apply needles or pressure to anatomical points for therapeutic benefit. The over 350 mapped acupuncture points in the human body can each treat various conditions, but anatomical variations make precisely locating these acupoints difficult. We propose a computer vision technique using the real-time hand and face tracking capabilities of the MediaPipe framework to identify acupoint locations. Our model detects anatomical facial and hand landmarks, and then maps these to corresponding acupoint regions. In summary, our proposed model facilitates precise acupoint localization for self-treatment and enhances practitioners' abilities to deliver targeted acupuncture and acupressure therapies.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.192-208
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• 2003

Burning acupuncture is one of the methods of curing and preventing many kinds of diseases by inserting and taking out of the needle into particular points of the body so called acupuncture points, using a heated Dae-Chim which is one of the nine kinds of needles used in ancient times or by inserting a thick needle after its been heated to certain temperature. Nowadays in China, Burning Acupuncture is used thoroughly from musculoskeletal diseases to, internal medicine, gynecology and many other clinical departments. But in Korea, this method of cure is practiced by only a few clinicians, therefore by studying historical documents, our object is to recognize the importance of the Burning acupuncture and to offer the basis for the scientific researches and clinical application.

• Journal of Korean Medical Ki-Gong Academy
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.22-39
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• 2001

This study is designed to compare the effect of a needle with the magnet on body. We took the skin temperature of the belly with digital infrared thermographic imaging while we sticked needle and apply magnets on L14. We made experiments on 40 healthy male volunteers for one month. We classified control group not acupuncture or magnet adhering(CON). acupuncture group on left and right L14(LA). and the permanent magnet group adhering to left and right(LM). And LM is divided into S-polar permanent magnet group(LMS) and N-polar permanent magnet group adhering to left and right L14(LMN). When we observed that temperature changed with time, the skin temperature of th belly in CON descended significantly but LM, LMS and LMN is not changed significantly. As mentioned above. we observed that the needles on L14 affected the change of temperature on the belly, and conjectured that the appliance of magnets had the same results. If the mechanism depends on the meridian of body and energy. we suppose that the appliance of magnets and needles has same effects.