• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.365-371
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• 2006

Bee Venom aqua-acupuncture (BVA) simultaneously exerts pharmacological effects of biologically active compounds, existed in the whole bee venom, and medicinal effect of the stimulation of acupuncture points. BVA has been considered as a promising therapeutic method for treating various chronic diseases, mainly accompanying severe pain and inflammation. As a painless injection device, jet injectors have been commercially marketed for various clinical applications including insulin injection and vaccination. Among them, a pressure-driven jet injector system could be used for intradermal delivery of a variety of drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic effects of the BVA using a needle-free injector (Biojector $2000^{\circledR}$, Bioject Inc., OR, USA), compared to the conventional BV aqua-acupuncture using a typical syringe. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with bee venom $(0.08mg/kg,\;50{\mu}l)$ using Biojector $2000^{\circledR}$ (BVA-B) or a syringe (BVA-5) into the Zusanli (ST36) acupoint, 30 minutes before plantar injection of 2% formalin. It was found that BVA-B-, or BVA-5-treated rats, compared to controls, exhibited significantly less licking behavior during the late phase in the rat formalin test, when compared to controls. During early phase, however, those effects were not significant but substantial. The analgesic effect of BVA-B was also compatible with that of the conventional BVA-5. In the immunohistochemical studies, BVA-B significantly suppressed the expression of formalin-evoked c-fos, a biomarker of neuronal activity, in the lumbar dorsal horn of the spinal cord. These results indicated that BVA-B waseffective in the modulation of pain in the rat formalin test, compared to BVA-5. Taken together, the needle-free jet injector system could be substituted for the conventional aqua- acupuncture with the advantage of little pain.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.4 s.55
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• pp.801-814
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• 1996

Background: Korean people could abuse healthy foods as well as medications, which might cause serious side effects. The aim of this study was elucidating liver dysfunction due to the self-medications of hepatotonics, healthy foods and herb medications by nested case-control study. Methods: Study subjects were drawn from male members of Seoul Cohort Study who were recruited by self-administered structured questionnaire survey through mailing to the healthy men between the age of 40 and 59 years through the program of biennial health check-up offered by Korea Medical Insurance Corporation(KMIC). The liver dysfunction was defined as the level of serum AST and ALT above 40 IU/L and increased in more than one hunderd per-cent during the 2 year follow-up period. To estimate the odds ratio between self-medication and liver dysfunction after controlling for potential confounders, logistic regression was performed. Results: During the follow-up period, 30 members were identified to fit into case criteria and 2,625 members were selected as control. In logistic regression analyses, history of healthy foods intake, age under 45 years, obesity, and habit of regular exercise were significantly associated with liver dysfunction. The following factors exhibited no statistical significance: intake of hepatotonics, of herb medicine; history of disease in family, of operation, and of radiologic examination; smoking habits and drinking amounts. Conclusion: The significant association between the intake of healthy foods and the liver dysfunction illustrates that chronically optional overuse of healthy foods might bring to hazards to health. As the increasing trend of the size of purchasing healthy foods in Korea, pharmacoepidemiologic studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of the widely used healthy foods should be performed in the near future.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.133-143
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• 1998

Myofascial pain syndrome is one of the pain syndrome resulted from myofascia which covered muscles and clinically characteristic feature by sensitive trigger point in skeletal muscles and referred pain reactivated by stimulating each trigger point. The origin of headache are local lesion such as head, chest, abdominal organ, systemic lesion with fever or in toxic state. the other factors are consciousness, personality, anxiety, depression, which cause muscle strain in physiological environment. The Oriental Medical therapy for headache has herb medication and acupuncture. especially acupuncture therapy has not only classical systemic acupuncture(體鍼) but also neo-acupuncture(新鍼) such as commonly using auricular acupuncture(耳鍼) and manual acupuncture (手鍼), recently trigger point acupuncture is used. The author analyzed 27 cases of patient with headache treated by trigger point acupuncture therapy in Dong-yu Oriental Medical Hospital from March 1st 1997 to February 28th 1998. The following results were obtained. 1. The sex ratio of the female was 59.26%(16 cases) and male was 40.74%(11 cases), the ratio of high school student was 62.96%(17cases) as first. 2. The headache duration ratio of 2-3 years was 37.04%(10 cases) as first, 1-2 years was 25.93%(7 cases) as second. 3. The portion ratio of whole headache was 33.33%(9 cases) as first, lateral headache was 29.63%(8 cases) as second 4. The combined symptoms ratio of anorexia was 40.74%(11 cases) as first, fatigue was 33.33%(9 cases) as second, neck stiffness and dizziness was each 25.93%(7 cases) as third. 5. The therapeutic duration ratio of below 1 week was 29.63%(8 cases) as first, 2-3 weeks was 22.22%(6 cases) as second, 1-2 weeks and 3-4 weeks was each 18.52%(5 cases) as third. 6. The ratio of family history was 11 cases(40.74%). mother with headache was 6 cases, father was 3 cases, and brothers & sisters was 2 cases. 7. The herb medication ratio of Chungsanggyuntongtang(淸上?痛湯) was 37.04%(10 cases), Kamiondamtang(加味溫膽湯) was 22.22%(6 cases), Hyangsapyunguisan(香砂平胃散) was 18.25%(5 cases) etc. 8. The remedial effect ratio of good was 25.93%(7 cases), fair was 48.15%(13 cases), not improved was 7.41%(2 cases), side effect was 3.70%(1 cases), and unknown was 14.81%(4 cases).

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 2024

Objectives: Obesity is a globally prevalent public health issue. Hence, there is a need for the development of safer and more effective anti-obesity drugs. Lythrum salicaria, a traditional medicinal herb used for centuries, has been reported to improve lipid metabolism and fat accumulation. It also has a low toxicity profile. Therefore, its potential as a functional ingredient in health functional foods needs to be evaluated. Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 90 participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. Each subject will orally receive L. salicaria extract (1,350 mg/day) (500 mg L. salicaria+850 mg lactose as vehicle) or lactose (1,350 mg/day) as a hard capsule formula for 84 days (12 weeks). The primary outcome will be body fat mass (kg), which will be assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) (performed only at visits 2 and 4). Secondary outcomes include body mass index, body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage (%) measured using DXA, lean body mass (kg) measured using DXA (assessed only at visits 2 and 4), lipids (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and calculated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), free fatty acid, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, adiponectin, and leptin. Conclusions: This protocol will be implemented after approval of Institutional Review Board of Pusan National University Korean Medicine Hospital (approval number: PNUKHIRB-2022-08-002) and registration with the Korean National Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) (CRIS-KCT0008060). The results of this trial will provide potential of L. salicaria as a new anti-obesity functional food with fat-reducing effects and low toxicity.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.147-156
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• 2008

Objectives : Oriental Medicine Music Therapy is a new way of treating and preventing various diseases and promoting health by means of music specially picked and designed to produce Qi(氣) fitting to an individual person in the areas of the structure of human body, physiological function, pathological change, diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, it can facilitate the efficiency of the treatment much better and faster than only with herb or acupuncture. Equilibrium between body and mind is its originality. Methods : A 38-year old man came to hospital suffering from left side weakness, dysarthria because of cerebral infarction. After one week's medication in the part of neurology, he was sent to the oriental medicine music therapy center, and he took ten times' medical treatments once a day. Before and after the treatments, implementing 'Ink foot print analysis', as for the movement capacity and walking of left side weakness, these results are acquired. Results and Conclusions : 1. Before the oriental medicine music therapy, except the acceleration and deceleration section, within three meters, a right foot's step was measured 30.55 cm and a left foot was measured 15.2 cm, and the step distance was 15.2 cm. After the 10 times treatments, the right foot's step was 112.6 cm, the left foot's step was 113 cm, and the step distance improved to 51.8 cm. 2. The normal person's average step is about 38 cm, and it could be decreased owing to a decreptitude, pain, fatigue, and the weakness of the legs. In spite of all, from the increased 50 cm step measurement with the patient's body condition, it means that his movement capacity is recovered. 3. In the measurement of walking time, before 10 times treatments, it took 46.35 seconds within 6M, but after the treatments, it increased to 7.47 seconds as same as a normal person's walking speed. 4. In insomnia, and the abnormality of a facial muscle, it shows lots of improvement, and even the accuracy of a pronunciation, but despite of the 10 times treatments, the 'ㄹ(r)' sound placed under a vowel is unclear. 5. Before the 10 times' treatments, he can move the left side shoulder with pain and cannot move below the left elbow. After the treatments, the pain was disappeared, and he was able to move over 60 cm without pain. And improving of the movement of fingers, he can beat over 8 times with a drumstick.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.233-239
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• 2002

This is a case report of a patient with conversion disorder treated by Soeumin herb medicine for 7 weeks. We judged the patient to be Soeumin, and diagnosed the case as Hansilgyulhyung. so we treated the patient with Soeumin Juckbaekhaogwanjung-tang and Soeumin Insambaekhaogwanjung-tang. The symptoms of the patients were whole body paralysis(she could not walk), tremor, abdominal dropsy etc, at admission. but the paralysis was improved so the patient could walk with assistant, tremor disappeared, and abdominal dropsy decreased at discharge. We found out that Soeumin Insambaekhaogwanjung-tang is effective for the Soeumin patient with conversion disorder.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.163-177
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• 2008

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate clinical prognosis factors of Bell's palsy patients. Methods : The 100 subjects were chosen from 262 patients over 20years old who was diagnosised Bell's palsy through Acupuncture & Moxibustion and ENT medical specialist after visiting the hospital within 8days of onset of peripheral facial palsy and after Oriental-Western Medicine Treatment, recovered completely or had over three months cares because of incomplete recovery Oriental-Western Medicine Treatment included Acupuncture Treatment, Herb med treatment, medicines treatment, Physical therapy and Electrodiagnostic Test was operated after 7 to 10days after outbreaks of the disease. Clinical prognosis factors were analyzed using House-Brackmann grading system(HBGS) as a measurement of the degree of Facial Palsy. Collected data were analyzed as Chi-Square test, ANOVA test, Independent-Samples t-test regression analysis using SPSS 12.0 WIN Program. Results : 1. There was a significant difference in the results of treatment according to site of palsy, degree of initial palsy, time of initial recovery and existence of recovery after 3weeks from onset as clinical prognosis factors of Bell's Palsy, However, a statistically significant difference was not shown in the results of treatment according to gender, age, existence of Post Auricular Pain, Hypertension, Diabetes and existence of relapse. 2. As a result of overall treatment, 85% of patients were recovered almost entirely and 15% were not recovered completely. 3. There was a significant difference in the onset of Post Auricular Pain and duration of Post Auricular Pain according to the degree of Post Auricular Pain. 4. There was a significant difference in the degree of initial palsy and degree of palsy after 3weeks from onset according to the existence of Post Auricular Pain. However, a statistically significant difference was not shown in the period of time until initial treatment, The time of initial recovery, (H-B), The period from onset to recovey, ENoG value. Conclusions : Based on the above results, prognosis of Bell's palsy was affected by degree of initial palsy, time of initial recovery and existence of recovery after 3weeks from onset.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.118-129
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• 1990

Socioeconomic status in this county progressed rapidly, this has brought about many changes in health care fields, namely, pattern of disease prevalence and morbidity, increase of the aged people, and also availability of health care in rural areas. According to the utilization study of medical care, it showed that the oriental medicine is used for the treatment of lasted chronic disease not the minor and common diseases which is quick in its effect. Particularly, in rural areas. prevalence of chronic disease is higher than that in urban areas. Although the health cafe need of the oriental medicine is high in rural areas, the distribution of manpower and facilities is lower than that in urban areas. Therefore the government has planned to implement the demonstration project for the oriental medicine at the designated 3 health centers in rural areas. The purpose of this study was to collect the utilization level of oriental medical care of the people in rural areas. To meet the purpose of this study, patient interview were applied. 790 patients visited to health center in project areas were selected and analyzed by experienced interviewers from 2 April to 21 April 1990. The major findings of this study were as follows ; 1) Of the 790 patients, 32.6 percent of the respondents had experience of using the oriental medicine. As for the utilization by age and sex. 54.8% of those was female and 70.7% was 40 years of age and more. 2) Reaction to the question of educational achievement showed that on schooling and primary school graduates accounted for 63.1%. 3) The most user of oriental medicine resides in country level, where the health center is located, and 80 percent of those users resides within 10Km. 4) More than 50% of the total was the chronic diseases which lingered for more than 3months. 5) 32.6 percent of the total cases used the oriental medicine. 61.2% among those was treated by oriental medical care hospital and 38.8% by oriental drug dispensaries etc. 6) The contont of oriental medical care varied ; 50.1% for prescription of herb drugs for treatment, 25.1% for health maintenance and 23.9% for acupuncture, moxibustion etc. 7) As for the motivation for using the oriental medicine. 56.6% of the respondents was for treatment of diseases and 27.9% wes for strengthening the physical weakness. 8) As for the effectiveness of the oriental medicine. 70.3% of the total cases satisfied with that treatment and 84.2% of the total cases will use the oriental medicine when is provided by health center.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.25 no.4 s.40
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• pp.343-356
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• 1992

Authors studied the workers' knowledge about the health problems detected through the previous workers' periodic health examination, content of follow-up management ana actions taken for their health problem detected on previous health examination. From June to September 1992, workers' periodic health examination was peformed on workers employed in 10 companies located in 2 middle-sized Korean cities. A questionnaire survey was done far 150 workers who reported to have $D_2$ result of either hypertension or liver disorder at the previous workers' periodic health examination done in 1991. The results are as follows; 1. Of 160 workers who had $D_2$ result of either hypertension or liver disorder in previous examination one year before, only 85 workers(51.3%, 43 workers with hypertension, 38 workers with live disorder) responded that they have such disorders. The other 65 workers responded to questionnaire were all those with C results. Respondents' knowledge about their diagnoses was relatively precise (95.2% in hypertension group, 94.6% in liver disorder group) but knowledge about classification of diseases was poor. 2. The main efforts to solve the health problem nab self management (20 spells, 55.3%), visiting clinic or hospital(6 spells, 12.8%), use of herb medicine (2 spells, 4.3%) and use of drug store(2 spells, 4.3%) in hypertension group. In liver disorder group, 30 spells (71.4%) relied on self management,6 spells (14.3%) on hospital or clinic and 9 spells (21.4%) had no effort to improve the health problem. Content of self management was low salt diet, quit smoking, regular exercise and quit alcohol drinking in order. Avoidance of salt in diet was high in hypertension group and quitting alcohol drinking was high in liver disorder group. In those with self management, 80.7% of hypertension group and 83.3% of liver disorder group continued previous effort. Those, however, who utilized clinic or hospital, only 16.7% and 50.0% were still visiting hospital or clinic. 3. Fifty seven percent of hypertension group and 64.3% of liver disorder group was presently smoking,8.5% and 11.9% reduced smoking and 21.3% and 14.3% stopped smoking. Forty nine percent of hypertension group and 28.6% of liver disorder group was presently drinking. Reduced alcohol intake was reported in 29.8% and 40.5%, 12.8ole and 23.8% stopped alcohol drinking. Sixty six percent of hypertension group and 73.8% of liver disorder group did no regular exercise, but 12.8% and 11.9% of each group increased their physical exercise far last one year. Forty three percent of hypertension group and 38.l% of liver disorder group was overweight (defined by bodymass index greater or equal than 25). Reduced body Weight was reported in 17.2% and 16.7% of each group. Reduced dietary salt intake was high in hypertension group (51.5%). The study results suggest that follow-up management after workers' periodic health examination is not satisfactory. In order to improve this situation, adequate information on the result of the workers' periodic health examination should be distributed to each worker group with health education and counselling.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 2017

Background: Ginsenoside Rc (G-Rc) is one of the major protopanaxadiol-type saponins isolated from Panax ginseng, a well-known medicinal herb with many beneficial properties including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, and antidiabetic effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of G-Rc on inflammatory responses in vitro and examined the mechanisms of these effects. Methods: The in vitro inflammation system used lipopolysaccharide-treated macrophages, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}/interferon-{\gamma}-treated$ synovial cells, and HEK293 cells transfected with various inducers of inflammation. Results: G-Rc significantly inhibited the expression of macrophage-derived cytokines, such as tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ and $interleukin-1{\beta}$. G-Rc also markedly suppressed the activation of TANK-binding kinase $1/I{\kappa}B$ kinase ${\varepsilon}/interferon$ regulatory factor-3 and p38/ATF-2 signaling in activated RAW264.7 macrophages, human synovial cells, and HEK293 cells. Conclusion: G-Rc exerts its anti-inflammatory actions by suppressing TANK-binding kinase $1/I{\kappa}B$ kinase ${\varepsilon}/interferon$ regulatory factor-3 and p38/ATF-2 signaling.