• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.192-200
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• 2019

Introduction: The aim of this study is to report the effect of traditional Korean medical treatment on fibromyalgia. Case presentation: A patient with fibromyalgia was treated with acupuncture, pharmacopuncture (Bee venom, Hwangryunhaedok-tang), cupping therapy, moxibustion therapy and herbal medicine for 37 days. To reduce the patient's symptoms, we provided herbal medicine three times a day, as well as acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, cupping therapy and moxibustion therapy once a day for 37 days. To evaluate the results of this treatment, we used the Numeral Rating Scale (NRS), Score of Sleeping Quality (SSQ) and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). After treatment, the patient showed that pain was reduced, the score of NRS was improved, FIQ improved from 91 to 69 and SSQ improved from 3 to 1. No adverse reaction was noted. Conclusion: According to the result, traditional Korean medical treatment can be effective and safe for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2013

Korean medical journals were continuously published during the period of Japanese colonization of Korea. Various advertisements by herbal drugs manufacturers were in these journals, targeting Korean medical doctors or students who aspired to be Korean medical doctors. The advertisements varied from small ones to large-scale ads. At first these advertisements covered only dried herbs, but with time, they came to advertise various kinds of drugs. Advertisement of merchandise drugs brought many changes to the medical culture of Korea. Korean medical doctors who only prescribed dried herbs before began to prescribe merchandise drugs as well. When treating patients, they not only used Korean drugs but also actively prescribed merchandise drugs and western drugs, showing an advancement in treatment. As Korean medical doctors played the role of providers of merchandise drugs, herbal drugs manufacturers and Korean medical doctors seemed as sellers and consumers on the surface. However, they maintained a relationship where Korean medicine worked as the common denominator. Among merchandise drugs, Yoeng-so-hwan, Bi-jeon-go, and Myeol-dok-hwan were advertised often, and this shows that people at the time suffered mostly from digestive diseases, skin diseases, and sexually transmitted diseases. Herbal drugs manufacturers were business managers whose main objective was to make a good profit, but they consisted a part of Korean medical society. Like Korean medical doctors, they were anxious about the fall of Korean medicine. As a part of popularization of Korean medicine, they encouraged Korean medical doctors to treat patients using herbal drugs and merchandise drugs. This thought was reflected well in advertisements and Korean medical doctors made use of this thought well.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.65-89
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• 2012

Objective : In order to investigate and improve public Korean medical health service satisfaction level, this study was designed. Method : A questionnaire has been conducted on 212 patients who received treatments at six public health centers in the northern part of Gyeongbuk during 15 days between Sep. 24 and Oct. 8, 2011. Result : 1. An Investigation on the usage of herbal clinics in public health centers reveals that 63.7% have received three times or more medical treatments previously and 61.8% have had their illness treated at other medical institutions. In regard to illness 32.1% have had arthritis or muscle aches. 50.9% have taken insurance medication after having had treatments at the public health centers. 66% have assessed acupuncture and moxa cautery the most satisfying. 2. To a question regarding whether herbal health treatment costs higher than that of physician's, the highest response at 31.6% is 'No'. And to a question regarding whether herbal medicines administered at public health centers have more side effects than that of physician's, the highest response at 39.6% is 'No'. 3. To a question regarding whether herbal treatment of public health centers has little effect against acute disease, 48.1% of responses are 'Fair'. To a question regarding whether herbal treatments, when compared with physician's treatments, boost better recovery of patients, 48.1% of responses are 'Fair'. To a question regarding whether herbal medicine is unscientific, when compared with that of western medicine, 38.2% of responses are 'Fair', To a question regarding whether herbal medicine has faster effect on disease than western medicine, 41.0% of responses are 'Fair'. To a question regarding whether herbal medicine is more effective on disease prevention and promotion of health than disease treatment, 38.2% of responses are 'Fair'. And to a question regarding whether the lack of various types of physical therapy devices in herbal medicine, when compared with western medicine causes inconvenience in herbal treatment, 42.0% of responses are 'Fair'. Those responses take up highest portion at each questionnaire. 4. A comparative study between herbal treatments and physician's treatments has also been conducted. To questions regarding which one of the two considering types of disease is the better, responses are the latter accounted for 43.9% against 'Cancer', the latter accounted for 45.3% against 'Endocrine disorders', the former accounted for 30.7% against 'Psychiatric disorders', the latter accounted for 38.2% gainst 'Otolaryngological(ENT) disease', the former accounted for 47.6% against 'Post traumatic stress disorder', and the former accounted for 52.4% against 'Muscle-skeletal disease'. 5. An investigation on frequency of patients' visits via (p<0.05) of subjects show a statistically significant difference. 6. First, an investigation on frequency of reasons of medical treatments reveal that age, occupation, monthly income, and insurance type (p<0.05) of subjects show a statistically significant difference. Secondly, an investigation on frequency of subjects taking insurance medicines after herbal health treatments reveal that monthly income (p<0.05) of subject shows a statistically significant difference. 7. First, an investigation on frequency of a claim that herbal treatments of public health center does not have great effect on acute disease reveals that age, education, and insurance type (p<0.05) of subjects show a statistically significant difference. Secondly, an investigation on frequency of analysis that herbal treatments has faster effect on disease compared with western treatments reveals that education level, religion, monthly income, and insurance type (p<0.05) of subjects show a statistically significant difference. 8. When herbal clinics of public health centers and general herbal medicine institutions are compared, a survey on additional treatments that herbal clinics need the most reveals that education level, monthly income, and insurance type (p<0.05) of subjects show a statistically significant difference. Secondly, an investigation on frequency of subjects who want various forms of herbal medicines reveals that occupation and insurance type (p<0.05) of subjects show a statistically significant difference. Conclusion : In order to improve efficiency of treatments and enhance patient's satisfaction level, this study suggests measures such as providing a differentiated acupuncture treatments as a whole, streamlining an reception procedure, adopting more elaborated computer system for a patient to get proper medical attention, standardizing a treatment duration in order for a maximum result, keeping regular office hours, and optimizing a consultation time for a patient.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.43-51
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• 2000

Objectives : It is well known that vegetables and fruits contain minerals, including potassium, sodium and phosphorus etc. Though most oriental herbal medications are made of natural plants, western scientists suppose that they also contain certain amounts of minerals and so are injurious to kidney disease such as chronic renal disease. However, by the reason of the limitation of western medical treatment on kidney disease, many patients depend on oriental medical treatment, which includes taking oriental herbal medicine. So, in order to find out the mineral contents in oriental herbal medicine, and to establish the oriental herbal medication's safety in kidney disease, studies were performed. Methods : In this study, we analyzed 42 oriental herbs commonly used in kidney disease by the Inductively Coupled Plasma(ICP) method. Results : 1. The potassium and sodium contents of oriental herbs were 3-10 times as much as of food. 2. The mineral contents of a daily dose of oriental herbal medicine satisfied the restriction of dietary mineral in CRF, though the amount of mineral intakes by food was considered. Conclusions : The mineral contents of oriental herbal medicine are less than the limits of mineral restriction in renal failure. The yielded results, we carefully suggest that oriental herbal medicine does not induce accumulation of minerals or damage in kidney disease patients.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.25-38
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• 2002

Spiral taping shows great effectiveness in relieving musculoskeletal pains. The purpose of this research is to compare effectiveness of herbal acupuncture of Carthami semen(Honghwa) vs its cotreatment with spiral taping for the treatment of acute low back pain. The target patients were those who satisfied with all of the following conditions. 1. Those who suffered from acute low back pain but without past history of the pain in the last six weeks. 2. The pain wasn't radiated to the lower limbs and were without any neurotic symptoms. A computerized randomization was used to set the patients in two groups. The control group was consisted of 41 patients and treated with herbal acupuncture. The experimental group was consisted of 49 patients and treated with spiral taping as well as herbal acupuncture. The treatment was given two times a week and the nurses measured the ROM and VAS evaluation before every treatment. The patients wrote ODI by themselves before the first treatment and after the 3rd treatment. After three months, an interview of the patients' condition through a follow up survey was done. In terms of acute low back pain in both the control group and experimental group, significant treatment effects were found by assessing VAS, ROM and ODI. By comparing the control group and the experimental group, there was more significant improvement in the experimental group than the control group of VAS and ROM, but no significant effect was found between the groups of ODI. This study shows that the herbal acupuncture of Carthami Semen plays a significant role in relieving acute low back pain. It also shows that spiral taping of the experimental group was more highly effective. As a result, spiral taping can be used with acupunture of Carthami Semen for a highly effective treatment for acute low back pain.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2007

This study was investigated to make sure the range of Gypsum treatment, the nature of disease, the pathology and the dosage of it in Dongeuybogam. The following conclusions were reached through investigations on the prescriptions that use Gypsum as a key ingredient. The Gypsum blended prescriptions are utilized in 23 fields of treatment such as cold, head. ect. Prescriptions that use Gypsum as the main ingredient are used commonly in the treatment of cold, head disease, fever, skin disease, diabetes, stroke, ophthalmic disease, jaundice, ENT disease and dental disease. The Gypsum is used for nature of disease which of cold, heat(fever), summer heat, phlegm, malfunction of liver, malfunction of liver and kidney, heat of stomach, malfunction of spleen and fever of stomach. The clinical dosage of Gypsum has ranged at a wide variety of amount from 1.6g to 16g per dose with 4g ${\sim}$ 8g being the typical dose for most treatment. The Gypsum is applied as a fundamental prescription with several herb remedies for the pathology.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.120-136
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• 2002

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate Acute and Subacute Toxicity, and Anti-cancer Effect of H Herbal-acupuncture on mice and rats. Methods : Balb/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with H Herbal-acupuncture for $LD_{50}$ and acute toxicity test. Sprague-Dawley rats were experimented in the same way for subacute toxicity test. H Herbal-acupuncture was injected into abdomen of mice having S-180 cancer cell line. Result : 1. During the test, $LD_{50}$ could not be counted since there was no expired subjects. 2. In an acute toxicity test, the loss of motility and reflex action was observed, but weight increased in the treatment group, compared with those in the normal group (P<0.05). 3. In an acute toxicity test of serum biochemical values of mice, glucose increased in the treatment group II while total cholesterol was increased in the all treatment groups (P<0.05). 4. In a subacute toxicity test, a little loss of motility and reflex action was observed in the treatment group. Weight of mice in the treatment group decreased on the 28th day. 5. In a subacute toxicity test, liver weight was decreased but lung weight of mice increased in the all treatment groups (P<0.05). 6. As a result of measuring Complete Blood Count test (CBC) of rat, HCT was decreased in treatments even though it was not significant, compared with the normal group (P<0.05). 7. In a serum biochemical value test of subacute toxicity, total protein and albumin decreased in the all treatment groups. Creatinine, glucose, GOT increased in the treatment group I compared with the control group. Alkaline phos-phatase decreased in treatment II group, compared with the control group (P<0.05). 8. Median survival time that was measured in the rats treated with sarcoma-180 cancer cell Median decreased in the treatment group, compared with the control group (P<0.05). 9. Natural killer cell activity showed significant reduction at 100:1 and 10:1 E/T ratio while it increased at 50:1 E/T ratio. It is inferred that there was an error in the experiment (P<0.05). 10. In an interleukin-2 productivity test, even though it decreased in lung cancer, and increased in abdomen cancer, but it was only a small difference (P<0.005). 11. After injecting B16F10 cell into a capillary vessel of C57BL/6 mice and generating metastasized lung cancer, the lung was examined with the naked eye. It was not possible to see metastasized cancer in the all groups on the seventh day but the cancer was viewed on the fourteenth day. The number and volume of metastasized cancer in the treatment group enlarged in the treatment group, compared with the control group. Conclusion : According to the results, H herbal-acupuncture took no effects in cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.135-154
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• 2014

Purpose: There is an issue in applying various principles introduced in established Korean medical classics to "Pharmaceuticals Approval, Notification and Review" of "herbal medicinal preparations" and "new drugs from natural products" that are used for western forms of medical treatment. Thus, an analysis of the origin, purpose, and application of established Korean medical classics in the Korean Pharmaceutical Affairs Act is essential. Methods: We collected data regarding the origin, purpose, and application of established Korean medical classics in the Korean Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, and classified them by periodical change and subjects. Results: Established Korean medical classics are applied as follows: 1) as criteria for Korean medicine distributors' sales of mixed herbal drugs (Pharmaceutical Affairs Act; since 1953), 2) as official compendiums for pharmacists' preparation of Korean medicine (Ministry of Health and Welfare's authoritative interpretation; from early 1970s to 1993), 3) as standards for oriental pharmacists' quality measurement of preparations (notification of the Ministry of Health and Welfare; since 1995), 4) as criteria for "Pharmaceuticals Approval, Notification and Review" of herbal medicinal preparations and crude drug preparations (notifications regarding drug approval process by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety; since 1978), and 5) as standards for the quality of materials of health functional food (from 2004 to 2011). Conclusion: The application of Korean medical classics has been closely related with the change of the laws, regulations, and systems that are relevant to Korean medicine, and it seems to be more favorable for pharmacists than oriental pharmacists. Meanwhile, regulations that apply prescriptions that are recorded in Korean medical classics - dosage, indications, and preparation methods - as criteria for the approval of crude drug preparations for western medical treatment should be abolished.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.131-139
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• 2019

Introduction: Mastalgia is the most common benign breast disorder during the fertility period of women. So far a wide range of natural or complementary medicines is used to cure mastalgia. Sanitary organizations need complete and suitable details to help women, for making the proper decision for alternative treatment based on the evidence. The aim of the present study is to introduce medicinal plant-based treatments about mastalgia and summarizes clinical trials about this disorder. Method: The articles were provided using mixture of keywords including cyclic pain, breast, treatment, therapeutics, therapy, clinical trial, herbal, drug, mastalgia and all the probable terms, in national and international databases SID, Iran Medex, Magiran, PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Science direct and Cochrane library, in both Persian and English languages. All cross-sectional and review articles about herbal treatment of mastalgia until 2018 November were studied. Results: Nineteen articles from all of the available articles (45 cases) and a sample size about of (1987 cases) were included in our study. The articles were clinical trials. The results revealed that mastalgia could be healed by Nigella sativa, Vitex agnus-castus, curcumin, Hypericum perforatum, Citrus sinensis, wheat germ, and Ginkgo biloba. Conclusion: Most of the evaluated medicinal plants possessing antioxidant compounds with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, exhibited healing effects in the treatment of mastalgia. Thus, medicinal plants can be considered in the treatment of mastalgia; however, further investigations are needed to obtain more details about their probable side effects.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.255-269
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• 2005

Objective : To evaluate the effect of Oriental Medical Treatment on a patient with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy followed by Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Method : We applied various methodology of Oriental Medical Treatment including Acupuncture, Electroacupuncture, Physical treatment, Herbal Medicine, Moxibustion treatment and Western medication as well. Result: Herbal medicine was applied on the basis of the patient's history. We applied formular to remove phelgm as a pathogenic factor after Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy. At the same time, considering the patient spent more than a month in ICU lacking appropriate nutrition, we used formuli on the basis of 'Deficiency of Spleen' focusing to vitalize the function of digestive system. As the condition of the patient changed, we also adapted formular accordingly. We prescribed Herbal medication to strengthen Yin and Yang equally as she got hospitalized for long time. Also we applied Acupuncture treatment and Moxibustion treatment to control Qi flow. The general condition of the patient got better with successful removal of Foley catheter and elevated Glasgow Coma scale. We used Electroacupuncture, Physical treatment and Western medication at the same to get maximized effect on relaxing the contracted muscle. According to the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), we have some changes in muscle spasticity but later, the effect was not that significant. Conclusion : We had a patient with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy followed by Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. In the management of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Conservative treatments are the mainstream but there are not many alternatives. Therefore, We suggest that Oriental medical approach may contribute to the management of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.