• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.225-232
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• 2006

Objective : To test the hypotheses that individualized traditional Korean acupuncture improves pain and disability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and that benefits remain after stopping treatment more so than is the case for standardized minimal acupuncture. Design : Randomized single blind controlled trial with two intervention arms (individualized traditional Korean acupuncture, standardized minimal acupuncture) of six weeks' duration and three months follow-up. Setting : Acupuncture interventions were applied by two training doctors in the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion in a 1000-bed hospital. Assessment of the result was performed in a university-based laboratory. Participants : 50 patients with symptoms of knee osteoarthritis as diagnosed by an orthopedist. Intervention : Individualized traditional Korean acupuncture or standardized minimal acupuncture for six weeks. Main outcome measures: Primary outcome measure was pain as measured by the visual analogue scale. Secondary measures of pain and disability included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) index, Short Form-36 (SF-36), Lequesne Functional Index (LFI) score and Korean version of Health Assessment Questionnaire (KHAQ). Discussion : This paper presents detail on the rationale, design, methods and operational aspects of the trial.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.227-232
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• 2021

Background: The purpose of this study was to statistically analyze the treatment effect and patient satisfaction of traditional Korean medicine, including acupotomy treatment of cervical herniated intervertebral disc. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 22 patients who received traditional Korean medicine including acupotomy treatment amongst all patients diagnosed with cervical herniated intervertebral discs at the Korean Medicine hospital in Daejeon, Korean, from January 01, 2020 to April 30, 2021. The clinical data from patient medical records were statistically analyzed. Results: The Numeric Rating Scale, the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions, and the European Quality of Life Visual Analogue Scale questionnaire scores were each compared before and after traditional Korean medicine treatment, including acupotomy, showed significantly improved scores after treatment (p < 0.001). Out of a total of 22 patients, 11 rated the treatment "very satisfactory" (50%), 5 "satisfactory" (22.7%), 5 "indifferent" (22.7%), 1 "unsatisfactory" (4.5%), and 0 "very unsatisfactory" (0%). Of the total 22 patients, 17 patients (77.3%) were willing to have further treatment, and 5 patients (22.7%) were not willing. Conclusion: Traditional Korean medicine treatment including acupotomy was an effective treatment for cervical herniated intervertebral discs. To determine the effect of an individual application (e.g., acupotomy) of traditional Korean medicine treatment for cervical herniated intervertebral disc, a prospective, controlled study is needed.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.158-167
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• 2014

Objectives : The results from randomized controlled trials on traditional medicine have been negative or ambiguous. The appropriateness of the research methodology started to be questioned. However, the research methodology appropriate for studying traditional medicine has not been well-established. This study aims to explore the appropriate research methodologies for clinical studies on acupuncture. Methods : Clinical researches evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture for back pain were systematically searched and evaluated focusing on research methodology. The acupuncture treatment protocol is evaluated by 9 items which is individual treatment based on diagnosis, combining proximal and distal acupoints, exact location of acupoint, De Qi, adequate stimulation, duration of acupuncture, treatment sessions, treatment interval, and establishing relationship between patients and doctors. Results : Systematic review of acupuncture researches on low back pain suggested that observational studies and pragmatic trials rather than explanatory studies could incorporate these elements. Qualitative studies also could help understanding complex characteristics of acupuncture treatment which could not be evaluated by quantitative studies. Conclusions : In designing clinical researches on acupuncture, various study designs, especially observational study and pragmatic study, should be considered according to research objectives and subjects. The efforts to incorporate the core characteristics of acupuncture practiced in everyday clinical setting are also essential.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Models of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are still difficult to grasp from the view of a Western-cultural background. For proper integration into science and clinical research, it is vital to think "out of the box" of classical sciences. Modern sciences, such as quantum physics, system theory, and information theory offer new models, that reveal TCM as a method to process information. For this purpose, we apply concepts of information theory to propose a "Chinese black box model," that allows for a non-deterministic, bottom-up approach. Considering a patient as an undeterminable complex system, the process of getting information about an individual in Chinese diagnostics is compared to the input-process-output principle of information theory and quantum physics, which is further illustrated by Wheeler's "surprise 20 questions." In TCM, an observer uses a decision-making algorithm to qualify diagnostic information by the binary polarities of "yang" (latin activity) and "yin" (latin structivity) according to the so called "8 principles" (latin 8 guiding criteria). A systematic reconstruction of ancient Chinese terms and concepts illuminates a scattered scientific method, which is specified in a medical context by Latin terminology of the sinologist Porkert [definitions of the Latin terms are presented in Porkert's appendix [1] (cf. Limitations)].

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.214-225
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze case reports on and to study Korean medicine treatments of facial palsy. Methods: Studies published after 2000 were selected by searching for the terms "facial palsy" and "Guanwasa" in four databases and case reports using Korean medicine moderating variables were extracted by two individual researchers. Results: The House Brackmann (H-B) Scale (23 times, 65.7%), and Yanagihara Grading Scale (Y-system) (22 times, 62.8%) were used to assess facial palsy. All case reports used acupuncture, while 19 case reports (51.3%) used electro-acupuncture, and 8 case reports (21.6%) used pharmacopuncture. Main meridian points used were ST6, ST4, GB14, TE23, LI20, BL2. Thirty-two case reports used herbal medicine (86.4%) and both Ligigeopoong-san, Bojunglkgi-tang were used frequently. Conclusion: To treat facial palsy, acupuncture was mainly used in conjunction with electro-acupuncture and pharmacopuncture. Most case reports also used herbal medicine.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.19-27
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• 2006

Objectives: Although Korean Acupuncture (KA) in Korean Medicine (KM) shares its origins with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it has made its own contribution to the field of acupuncture and general medicine. This study reviews characteristics of KA. Methods: Representative theories of KA were reviewed in light of a constitutionally individualized and practically integrated approach. Individualized approach in KA is based on constitutional energy traits recognized in Saam, Taegeuk, and Eight Constitution acupuncture theories. New practically integrated therapeutic modalities, such as herbal, and bee venom acupunctures, have also been developed in KA. Results: As a form of natural medicine, KA along with KM put emphasis on the vitality and self-correcting mechanism of an individual, which led to the refinement of constitutional approach. KA along with KM theories features a summarized understanding and practical application of integrated therapeutics, which produced creative development of new modalities. Conclusions: KA is expected to make significant contributions to the individualized and practical medicine, based on basic research and clinical trials.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.277-289
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• 2009

Recently, functional MRI has been used to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms of acupuncture and the specificity of acupoint. The group data tend to be regarded as more important than the individual data in the most of previous studies. This study was designed to investigate the effect of the variability of individual data on the group results. A functional MRI (fMRI) of the whole brain was performed in fifteen healthy subjects during placebo and acupuncture stimulations at the ST36 acupoint. After remaining at rest for 30 seconds, the acupuncture was inserted and twisted at the rate of 2 Hz for 45 seconds and then the acupuncture was removed immediately. This process was repeated three times. Individual and group analyses were performed by voxel-based analyses using SPM2 software. Visual inspections of the activation and deactivation maps from individual sessions have shown the large variability across fifteen subjects. This means that the group data reflected the brain activation responses of only a few subjects. We suggest that the individual data should be presented to demonstrate the effect of acupuncture.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.136-148
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• 2016

Purpose: Patterns of traditional medicine (TM) utilization vary depending on culture, historical significance, and regulations. We seek to understand how socio-demographic factors are related to TM use in Korea. Methods: The longitudinal cohort survey data of the Korea Health Panel (2008-2012) were used for the analysis. Information on TM included questions on 4 types of TM therapies used in South Korea (e.g., acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping, herbal therapies, and massage using hand). To adjust clustering across multiple observations per individual, individual random effects were used in the multivariate analysis. All analyses were performed using Stata 11.0. Results: A majority of Koreans (60%) used WM only during a year, and few people used TM only. Among TM users, most (93%) used it along with WM and 8% used TM only. Our regression analysis showed that female, age 34-64, low-educated, and sicker people were more likely to use TM. Conclusion: This study provides evidence on the relationship between TM utilization and socio-demographic factors.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.63-79
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• 2007

Objectives : Korean traditional acupuncture Theory, Sa-am's 5 phases acupuncture method was originated in 1644-1742, in the middle of the Cho Sun dynasty. This study was to verify the effect of Sa-am Acupuncture Treatment on dysmenorrhea of Women. Methods : The subjects were 49 volunteers who were suffering for dysmenorrhea, employed using Measure of Menstrual Pain (MMP) questionnaire. Subjects were divided into two groups including Sa-am acupuncture treatment group(n=23) and minimal acupuncture treatment group(n=26). They had agreed to take part in tIris experiment, with didn't take any anodyne drugs. In the acupuncture group, subjects were stimulated at $GB_{41}$, $SI_3$, $GL_{66}$, $SI_2$(Small intestine jung-guk) and $SP_6$. In the control group, subjects were needled at $L_{10}$, $S_{40}$, $P_5$, $G_{40}$ points have any effect on dysmenorrhea. A total of 5 acupuncture sessions were performed for each patient depending on the individual menstruation cycle. The MMP score by using 7 questions and the Menstrual Symptom Severity List(MSSL-D) were measured before and after menstruation cycle. Collected data were analyzed as frequency, percentage, paired t-test, independent t-test using SPSS 10.0 WIN Program. Results : Acupuncture treatment produced a significant improvement on dysmenorrhea in two groups, but a statistically significant difference was not shown in the acupuncture group compare to control group. Conclusions : Based on the above results, it was verified that Acupuncture Treatment was effective in decreasing the symptom of Dysmenorrhea.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.17-25
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was conducted to explore the contemporary perception of traditional Korean medical doctors (TKMDs) on traditional Korean medicine (TKM) policies and issues. Methods: A questionnaire that included traditional medicine policy- and treatment-related issues was sent to 130 TKM medical centers and 4,300 TKM local clinical offices in Korea, and received responses from total 648 TKMDs in 122 TKM medical centers and 465 TKM local clinical offices. Results: Of the responding TKMDs, 40% believed that unification of Western and traditional medicines would benefit both modes of medical treatment, 67.6% were against allowing Chinese doctor certification to be effective in Korea through the Korea-China FTA (Free Trade Agreement), and 57.8% believed that the number of TKMDs should be reduced. We also found that 46.1% of TKMDs believed that more lectures on Western medicine would be needed in schools of TKM. Moreover, 87.5% of respondents regarded medical knowledge as necessary for treatment, and 49.4% believed National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine (NCCAOM) would be not necessary. TKMDs regarded governmental efforts as more vital than education in schools or individual efforts for enhancement of the traditional medical care market in Korea. To efficiently provide the advantages of complementary CAM, such as cost and safety, detailed research is required when policy is made. Conclusions: The TKM industry must implement policies how the relationship with Western medicine can be better defined under the current dual medical system. On the issue of human resources, more research will be needed on the current policy, which serves to maintain the status quo by blocking the importation of Chinese practitioners and by reducing the number of new practitioners.