• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.202-212
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• 2022

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Cheong-A-Won Gagambang (JCE003) treatment for degenerative knee osteoarthritis. Methods: This was a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial. There were 36 adults with degenerative knee osteoarthritis who were randomly allocated into JCE003 1,000 mg, JCE003 2,000 mg, or the placebo group (in a 1:1:1 ratio). The participants received 12 weeks of treatment and had scheduled tests every 6 weeks. The primary outcomes were measured using the Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities scale, and the secondary outcomes were measured using the visual analog scale, European quality of life-5-dimensions, patient global impression of change, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Changes between baseline scores and scores following study completion were analyzed. Results: There were 29 participants whose data were analyzed in this study. The change of Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities, visual analog scale, European quality of life-5-dimensions scores showed significant improvement in the JCE003 1,000 mg group. The change of patient global impression of change was significantly improved in the placebo group. There were 14 adverse events, but there was no clinically significant relationship with the intake of JCE003 compared with the placebo. Conclusion: Taking JCE003 may be effective at improving knee pain in patients with degenerative knee osteoarthritis and appears to be safe. Based on this study, the concentration and feasibility of the test group may be used when conducting a large-scale clinical trial of degenerative knee osteoarthritis in the future.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2022

Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a term that applies to symptoms such as persistent or recurring low back pain, paresthesia, sciatica, or numbness after spine surgery. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to have excellent analgesic effects although there have been no systematic reviews on the effects of EA on FBSS. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of EA on FBSS was conducted. Eight databases were searched for studies that used EA for FBSS and 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. RCTs of EA as combination therapy for FBSS compared with conventional treatment demonstrated improvement in the level of pain, lumbar functional scale scores, and quality of life. However, meta-analysis showed that reduction in pain was not statistically significant, while evaluation of lumbar function significantly improved, although the quality of evidence in the RCTs was generally low. RCTs comparing EA alone with conventional treatment demonstrated an improved level of pain, lumbar function, and effective rate of treatment. Meta-analysis showed that pain was significantly decreased in the EA alone group compared with the control group, although the quality of evidence was low. To improve the quality of evidence, high-quality RCTs are required in the future.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.182-189
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• 2022

To evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture treatment for primary dysmenorrhea (PD), a literature review of a randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed where electroacupuncture was used as a treatment intervention in patients diagnosed with PD. Relevant clinical studies (N = 226) were retrieved from multiple databases according to the study inclusion/exclusion criteria, and interventions and outcomes were analyzed. As a result of the review, there were 6 RCTs which met the criteria. In all 4 studies that measured pain indicators (visual analog scales), electroacupuncture showed significantly positive changes. In addition, positive changes were observed in most indicators (MMDQ, PGF2a, PGE2, 6-keto PGF1, TXB2, clinical efficacy score, uterine arterial blood flow parameters, and blood viscosity). 2 studies showed that electroacupuncture had a stronger therapeutic effect than NSAIDs. No major side effects were reported. Electroacupuncture may be an effective and safe treatment for PD however, further RCTs are required.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.190-201
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• 2022

This review aimed to analyze Korean medicine treatment (KMT) methods used for Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in studies from January 1, 2010, to December 21, 2021. Five online databases (KISS, SCIENCEON, DBpia, RISS, KMbase) were searched for GBS-related studies. A total of 14 case reports were selected. Various treatment methods for GBS such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and cupping have been reported, and some included Western medication. Herbal medicine and acupuncture were the most frequently used treatment methods. The most common prescription for GBS was Shipjeondaebotang Gami, the most common herb used was Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizome, and the most common acupoints were ST36, LI11, TE5, and LI4. In moxibustion treatment for GBS, CV4 was commonly used, and in cupping treatment the low back and back-shu points and were mostly used. Further studies on Korean medicine treatment of GBS are necessary for standardization of treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.36-39
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• 2022

Background: Acupotomy is a type of acupuncture where a scalpel-shaped needle (miniscalpel needle) is used instead of a normal acupuncture needle to exfoliate adhesion sites or to relax entrapped regions. This study aimed to identify the descriptive characteristics of patients who received acupotomy treatment at a single Korean Medicine Clinic. Methods: This retrospective review analyzed the medical charts of patients who had received acupotomy at least once from August 2017 to December 2019 at a single Korean Medicine Clinic. The demographic characteristics, chief complaints, acupotomy treatment sites, and principal diagnosis codes were analyzed. Results: We identified 551 outpatients; the average age was 52 ± 14.26 years and 49.9% were male. The patients underwent an average of 8.47 sessions of acupotomy. Altogether, 35.91% of the acupotomy treatments were administered to the spinal regions, of which 60.01% were in the lumbar region. The codes related to the lumbar spinal condition/disease which were used most frequently. The chief complaints were dizziness, lumbar spinal stenosis, and Dupuytren's contracture in patients over 60 years of age. Conclusion: This is the 1^st analysis of acupotomy treatment patterns in Korea to date. Acupotomy is primarily administered in the treatment of spinal conditions/diseases, especially for those involving the lumbar region. Future studies are necessary to determine the clinical outcomes of patients who receive acupotomy treatment and the safety of this treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 2022

Background: This study was performed to determine the effects of liposome-encapsulated bee venom (BV) treatment of inflammatory factors in atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with BV treatment. Methods: AD was induced by phthalic anhydride in mice and the effects of BV liposomes were measured. Using Leica Application Suite, thickened epidermis and dermis were measured after BV liposome treatment (0.05 and 0.1 ㎍/mL). The number of stained mast cells and the concentration of immunoglobulin (Ig)E were measured. Serum IgE concentration was analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-4, and IL-6 inflammatory cytokines were measured. The levels of messenger ribonucleic acid expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines were measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, was analyzed on western blot. To measure the transcriptional activity (NF-κB inhibition by BV liposomes), western blots (p65, p-IκB, p50, and IκB) were also performed. Results: The weight of lymph nodes, serum IgE concentrations, morphological changes in the skins from the backs of the mice, and mast cell numbers in inflamed tissues were noticeably lower in the BV liposome treatment group compared with the BV treatment group. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-4, IL-6) and chemokines (TSLP, CCL22) were also reduced. Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-ERK and p-p38), and transcriptional activity (p65, p-IκB, p50, and IκB) was strongly suppressed in the BV liposome group. Conclusion: BV liposomes may have a better therapeutic effect than BV for the treatment of AD.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2022

This study aimed to analyze the status of adverse events (AEs) in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions/diseases using thread embedding acupuncture (TEA). Five electronic databases were searched to retrieve data on clinical studies published in the last 5 years (2016 to 2021). Of the 151 studies retrieved, 22 studies analyzed AEs and were selected for this review. There were no AEs reported in 6 studies (27.3%); of the remaining 16 studies, 4 studies (18.2%) reported AEs that were not related to TEA. The most common AEs reported in the Chinese studies were redness of skin with/without swelling and tingling sensation, and in the Korean studies they were stiffness, a foreign body sensation, and bruising. The percentage of patients with AE experience was 5.1% in the Chinese studies and 19.9% in the Korean studies. The discrepancies between the findings in the Chinese and Korean studies may be attribute to differences in the diameter of needles, thread materials, TEA treatment procedure, and evaluation methods for AEs. Most of the reported AEs were of a mild status and did not last for a long time. However, further research on the clinical course after TEA treatment is needed.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.122-133
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• 2022

Background: This study was designed to statistically analyze the data of patients who had Bell's palsy (BP) who visited a Korean Medicine hospital in the last 3 years to determine the tendency or characteristics of their visit. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 816 patients. Based on the data collected through medical records demographics, condition/disease, and therapeutic characteristics of the patients were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 23.0. Results: Patients in their teens or younger, and 50s or older had a higher frequency of inpatient treatment, and 20s to 40s had a higher rate of outpatient treatment. The proportion of men who received steroid combination treatment was higher than women. The number of patients with BP, and the total treatment period of the patients has decreased every year. The total treatment period was shorter in the steroid group than the Korean medicine alone group. Inpatients were more likely to receive steroid combination therapy than outpatients. The proportion of patients who received steroid combination therapy was higher than patients with recurrence of BP. Patients with hypertension or diabetes had a higher rate of hospitalization and received more treatments than patients without the condition/disease. Conclusion: Visit characteristics and treatment methods preferred by patients with BP were identified. This research may help to establish a treatment model for BP in Korean Medicine institutions in the future.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.134-138
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• 2022

Distal femur osteotomy (DFO) is a controlled surgical break of the femur performed to allow realignment of the limb. Redistribution of the load aims to correct the abnormal mechanical weight-bearing axes in patients with abnormal alignment of the lower extremities, and degenerative changes in the knee joint. This report describes a complex Korean medicine treatment for a patient complaining of knee pain and stiffness following a DFO. Post-operative care for the patient lasted 78 days with treatment including pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping therapy, and physiotherapy. The effectiveness of the treatments was evaluated using the numerical rating scale, range of motion of the knee, and by physical examination. After treatment, these evaluation indicators improved, suggesting that the complex Korean medicine treatment received by the patient was an appropriate treatment for knee pain and stiffness following a DFO.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2022

Interest in effluent treatment is currently increasing and the use of polymetric coagulants is considered as a pretreatment of physical filtration prior to effluent discharge to increase solids recovery. A jar test evaluated effluent treatment efficiency of polymeric coagulants for semi-recirculating aquaculture systems. The particle coagulation efficiency and distribution were evaluated at different polymer dosages in freshwater and seawater effluents. The polymer was added at 0.005-0.08 mL/g of total suspended solids (TSS) in the effluents. TSS in the supernatant after coagulation decreased with increasing polymer dose in the freshwater, while showing no corresponding changes with dose in the seawater. However, in all treatments for both effluents, the removal efficiency was above 90%, regardless of the dose in the tested range. Both the De Brouckere Mean Diameter (DBMD) and volumetric median diameter (VMD) were all above 100 ㎛ in the freshwater effluent. In the seawater effluent, the particle size appeared to be larger than that in freshwater, ranging from 400-1,000 ㎛ for both DBMD and VMD. Considering that the typical pore size of physical filtration in aquaculture is between 60 and 200 ㎛, the use of polymers is expected to improve the practicality of physical filtration for efficient treatment.