• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.392-400
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• 2017

Objective: To report the case of a patient suffering from cervical vertigo who was treated with a combination of Korean medicine treatments (including acupuncture, pharmaco-acupuncture, and Chuna manual therapy). Method: An outpatient with cervical vertigo was given a combination of Korean medicine treatments five times, from December 5 to 16, 2016. All of the treatments, acupuncture with electric stimulation and pharmaco-acupuncture, were applied on the trigger points (TP) of the cervical muscles and the upper trapezoid muscles. Chuna manual therapy was then applied on the cervical area. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) - according to outpatient's statement on vertigo, neck pain and headache - and the Korean Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), which is a self-evaluating scale of dizziness in daily life, were used to evaluate the effects of this treatment. Results: At the end of the treatment, the vertigo and the headache disappeared. The NRS decreased from 9 to 0 for vertigo and from 5 to 0 for headache. Although the neck pain also decreased, it did not disappear; this NRS decreased from 7 to 1. The DHI score also decreased significantly, from 64 to 4. Conclusion: Since the symptoms of the patient with cervical vertigo improved after the very first treatment and the improvement of the symptoms was observed as the treatment progressed, this case report is worth supporting the efficacy of combined Korean medical treatments. However, because there was only one subject, it is hard to say that this efficacy can be generalized. Moreover, this report cannot prove the individual efficacy since various treatments were combined. While there are many researches related to cervical vertigo in Western medicine, the studies in Korean medicine are comparably insufficient; therefore, follow-up research on more subjects is needed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.881-890
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• 2022

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of complex Korean medicine treatment on decreased mental status in a progressive supranuclear palsy patient with a cerebrovascular accident. Case presentation: The patient was treated with Korean medicine composed of herbal medicine (modified Guibi-tang), acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping combined with Western medicine (a dopamine precursor and an anticholinergic) and physical therapy. The Glasgow Coma Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Hoehn and Yahr Scale were used to evaluate the effects of the treatments. After treatment, Glasgow Coma Scores increased from 9-10 to 12-13, and Mini-Mental State Examination for dementia screen scores increased from 1 to 2. The Hoehn and Yahr score remained at 5. There were no side effects of the treatment. Conclusion: This study suggests that complex Korean medicine treatments may be effective for the decreased mental status of a progressive supranuclear palsy patient with a cerebrovascular accident, but further studies are needed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1105-1115
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this review is to investigate clinical studies on Oriental medicine treatment for aphasia after cerebrovascular disease. Methods: Using the keywords 'Aphasia', 'Oriental medicine', 'Stroke' 'Cerebral infarction', 'Cerebral hemorrhage', and 'Clinic', we searched domestic databases, including "NDSL (National Discovery for Science Leaders)", "Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal", "OASIS (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System)", and "RISS (Research Information Sharing Service)". Each keyword was not searched individually, but combined in various ways. To investigate recent trends, we limited our search to papers published after 2000. Papers that did not include a specific treatment method or did not match the subject "Aphasia after stroke" were excluded. Results: Using the searching method, 13 studies were found. Of these, 12 studies were in the form of case reports, while one was in the form of a non-randomized controlled trial. These studies showed positive results for the use of Oriental medicine in terms of the Korean version of the Western Aphasia Battery (K-WAB), the evaluation form on functional performance capability and accuracy of articulatory organs developed by Lee, aphasia screening test refered in 'Assessment in Speech-Language Pathology' and adapted properly to Korean, the Communicative Ability in Daily Living Test (CADLT), the Korean Version-Boston Naming Test (K-BNT), and language assessment items included in CNS, and NIHSS. Conclusions: Of the 12 case reports, 11 studies showed positive results of the use of Oriental medicine for treatment of aphasia after cerebrovascular disease. However, more sophisticated and large-scale clinical research on aphasia should be conducted.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.897-902
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• 2000

Objective : The study was to investigate Diagnosis and Treatment Based on an Overall Analysis of Signs and Symtoms(證治) of a patient on stomach cancer stage IV by means of the clinical symptoms. Methods : The observation of the clinical progress was carried out by conducting Diagnosis and Treatment Based on an Overall Analysis of Signs and Symtoms(證治) with the patient diagnosed stomach cancer stage IV. Results : Treatments such as the invigoration of qi(補氣), the flow of qi(行氣), and the relieving pain(止痛) was given because the patient showed the qi deficiency of the spleen and stomach(脾胃氣虛). There were moderate effects for anorexia, indigestion, nausea, and general weakness, but there was not any clear effect for alleviation of abdominal pain except the first period. Specially, compared with two hospitalization treatments in 1998, the third hospitalization treatment did not show any apparent improvement. It was believed that this caused by the patients bodily weakness because of deterioration of anemia from bleeding in the progress of cancer. Conclusion : Diagnosis and treatment based on an overall analysis of signs and symtoms(證治) of a patient on stomach cancer stage IV had moderate effects on the improvement of the patients condition, but in this case we had difficulty in long-term observation because of short hospitalizations or insufficient examination by an oriental-western combined medicine group.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2018

Objectives: In the case of a diabetic patient diagnosed with lumbar burst fracture, we aim to present effective results in terms of pain management and blood glucose level stabilization. Methods: A patient was given combined traditional Korean medicine therapy, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture, and antidiabetic medications, during a hospitalization period. We measured the state and progress of this case with the NRS (Numeric Rating Scale) and ODI/NDI (Oswestry/Neck Disability Index). We also checked blood glucose levels regularly. Results: After treatment, the patient's pain was controlled, and the NRS score was decreased. Not only were the overall symptoms of the patient improved positively but the ODI/NDI scores were also improved. Blood glucose level was stabilized. Conclusions: One case of a diabetic patient diagnosed with lumbar burst fracture showed improvement of ODI, NDI, and NRS scores for back and neck pain. Further, the blood glucose level was stabilized.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.155-162
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• 2022

Even after testing negative for COVID-19, some patients continue to struggle with a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal problems and neurological problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined long COVID (Post COVID-19 conditions) as "A disease occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms that last for at least 2 months, that cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis." As a possible pathological mechanism of long COVID, three hypotheses are proposed: the persistence of the infectious state due to the residual virus, the persistent inflammatory response, and the autoimmune response. The main symptoms of long COVID are shortness of breath (dyspnea), abdominal pain and dyspepsia, fatigue, cognitive problems (brain fog), anosmia and dysgeusia, and chest pain, palpitations and tachycardia. In the Chinese guidelines, COVID-19 patients were divided into mild, moderate, severe, and recovery, and prescriptions with effective therapeutic effects were summarized to encourage combined treatment of chinese and western medicine. Globally, only symptomatic therapy is recommended for long COVID, but a specific treatment has not yet been proposed. Recently, morbidity code for post COVID-19 conditions was created, and it is planned to announce guidelines for long COVID treatment and management in the first half of 2023. In line with this trend, the Korean medical community needs to make efforts to prepare treatment guidelines for patients with long COVID.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.192-202
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• 2009

Background: Little information is available the role of Nitric Oxide (NO) in host defenses during human tuberculosis (TB) infection. We investigated the modulating factor(s) affecting NO synthase (iNOS) induction in human macrophages. Methods: Both iNOS mRNA and protein that regulate the growth of mycobacteria were determined using reverase transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The upstream signaling pathways were further investigated using iNOS specific inhibitors. Results: Here we show that combined treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-D3) and Interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$ synergistically enhanced NO synthesis and iNOS expression induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) or by its purified protein derivatives in human monocyte-derived macrophages. Both the nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ and MEK1-ERK1/2 pathways were indispensable in the induction of iNOS expression, as shown in toll like receptor 2 stimulation. Further, the combined treatment with 1,25-D3 and IFN-${\gamma}$ was more potent than either agent alone in the inhibition of intracellular MTB growth. Notably, this enhanced effect was not explained by increased expression of cathelicidin, a known antimycobacterial effector of 1,25-D3. Conclusion: These data support a key role of NO in host defenses against TB and identify novel modulating factors for iNOS induction in human macrophages.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2015

Objectives : To evaluate the long-term survival effects of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) on refractory metastatic lung cancer and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), which have historically poor survival rates. Methods : A retrospective study was conducted using the medical records of two patients in Daejeon University hospital. The first patient, with SCLC, was treated from January 2000 to December 2009 and the other, with metastatic pulmonary cancer from primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), was treated from September 2004 to February 2014. The patients were treated with herbal medicines at one-month intervals. During hospitalization, acupuncture and indirect moxibustion were performed concurrent with the administration of Western therapy. Treatment efficacy was assessed monthly using chest radiography, chest computed tomography, and laboratory examination data, and by measuring patient performance status. Results : Both patients exhibited a stable disease course for more than 9 years after the initial diagnosis of intractable lung cancer, suggesting that their disease status was controlled by TKM. Conclusions : We suggest that a combination of TKM with conventional Western therapy for refractory lung cancer patients is effective in controlling various symptoms related to lung cancer and improving quality of life, and may potentially prolong overall survival.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.246-258
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• 2024

This case report describes a patient diagnosed with central post-stroke pain (CPSP) and hemiparesis due to anterior cerebral artery and middle cerebral artery infarction. The patient was treated with Korean medicines, including moxibustion, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, herbal medicine, Western medicine, and rehabilitation therapy for 67 days. CPSP improved based on scores on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (from 8 to 0), paresthesia NRS (7 to 0), Manual Muscle Test (4/1 to 4+/4-),4+/4-), Korean version of the modified Barthel Index (24 to 73), National Institute of Health's Stroke Scale (7 to 0), Global Deterioration Scale (1 to 1), and Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (27 to 29). No seizures, shocks, recurrent ischemic stroke, and liver dysfunction were recorded during the treatment. A moxibustion-induced burn healed within 7 days. This case suggests that moxibustion, combined with other treatments, has the potential to improve CPSP, without severe side effects.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.144-155
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• 2007

Background : In western medicine, there has been much interest in medication teaching since the separation of dispensary from medical practice in 2000. On the other hand, few investigations have been carried out about medication teaching for herbal medicine. Objectives : The purpose of this study wasto investigate the current status of medication teaching of herbal medicine and develop a better guide. Methods : Pharmaceutical affairs law in Korea was searched and some medication teaching guides were compared and analyzed to develop a better guide suitable for herbal medicine. Results and Conclusions : The future guide should be based on scientific evidence and include the following: (1)the origin of each herbal formula (2)the constitution of each herbal formula and proportion of each herb included (3)the chief virtue of each herbal formula (4)the efficacy of each herbal formula (5)the safety of each herbal formula (6)combined treatment with herbal formulas and western drugs (7)the way of decocting each herbal formula (8)the way of safekeeping and period of circulation of each herbal formula (9)a summary and evaluation for each herbal formula (10)references of each herbal formula.