• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.67-78
• /
• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study were to examine the anti-hyperalgesic effects of combination of electroacupuncture and microcurrent on anti-hyperalgesia in local hyperalgesia zone. Methods: It used 24 rats for experiment, divided them into control group, electroacupuncture group (EA group), microcurrent group (MC group), combination of electroacupuncture with microcurrent (EA+MC group), caused hyperalgesia by injecting ${\lambda}-carrageenan$ into hindpaw. Thickness of hindpaw, mechanical pain threshold (MPT), thermal pain threshold (TPT), noxious flexion withdrawal reflex (NFR) and somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) were measured immediately after induction, at 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours after induction. The electrical stimulation was given once a day for three days, 20min per session. Results: Change of thickness, MPT, and TPT showed significant difference in all groups compared to control group. In particular, there were remarkable difference in EA+ME group. In particular there were remarkable differences in EA group and EA+MC group. Change of NFR(% threshold, % reaction time, % RMS) and SEP showed mainly significant differences in EA group and EA+ME group compared to control group. In particular, there were remarkable difference in EA+ME group. Conclusion: The above results suggest that appropriate combination of microcurrent with electroacupuncture for pain control will be very desirable.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.43-58
• /
• 2007

Objectives : The elicit of DeQi, a composite of sensation including numbness and fullness that develops at the site of acupuncture stimulation, is considered to be clinically essential to establish treatment efficacy. However, there was little studies investigating the relationship between the subjective feeling of acupuncture sensation and acupuncture analgesia, The current study was therefore performed to determine the correlation between the acupuncture sensation scale (ASS) and the degree of acupuncture analgesia. Methods : Ninety-two female subjects were stimulated at LI4 acupoint on non-dominant hand with real (RA) or sham acupuncture (SA). Finger withdrawal latency (FWL) of each group was also measured to evaluate analgesic effect of acupuncture on the noxious heat stimuli on the dominant hand. All subjects were asked to complete seven point-Likert scale ASS developed by Vincent et al. Results : The increase rate of FWL of the RA group was significantly higher than that of the SA group(36.03 ${\pm}$ 4.45% vs 24.50 ${\pm}$ 3.73%). RA stimulation produced significantly higher rating of all the ASS except for dull sensation, compared to SA stimulation. Significant correlations between analgesic effect of RA, but not of SA, and the degree of the ASS, including burning sensation(r=0.349), Intense sensation(r=0.299), pulsating sensation (r=0.335), and stinging sensation (r=0.306) were found. Conclusions : The results of our study indicate that the DeQi sensation are associated with acupuncture analgesia. Our findings suggest that the evocation of DeQi might be useful clinical indicator of acupuncture treatment.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.11-17
• /
• 2008

Purpose: This study examined the application of electric stimulation to the auricle acupoint (frequency 2 Hz, stimulation level: noxious) with 30 elderly people over 65 years that received treatment in a rural hospital to determine the influence of pain, gait and balance in the aged with knee joint disease. Methods: The subjects were divided into three groups; the degenerative joint diseases (DJD) group (1 male, 9 females), the total knee replacement (TKR) group (1 male, 9 females) and the control group (1 male, 9 females). Auricualr electrical stimulation (AES) was applied with low frequency, high intensity transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for 10 seconds per each point. Results: 1. For the change of pain according to AES, there was interaction in the resting period (p<0.001) and gait (p<0.001) and pain of the DJD group and TKR group was decreased. 2. The range of motion (ROM) of the knee joint showed a significant difference in interaction for each group of elderly people (p<0.001) and the ROM for the DJD group and TKR group of elderly people was increased. 3. In the analysis of gait speed changes, there was a significant difference in interaction for each group of elderly people (p<0.001) and for gait speed in the DJD group and TKR group of elderly people. 4. It was found in the change of static balance that there was a significant difference in interaction for each group of elderly people (p<0.01) and balance capacity in the DJD group and TKR group of elderly people was increased. Conclusion: The aged with knee joint disease have pain, and a decreased function of gait and balance. AES was an excellent treatment for control of pain, and an excellent treatment to enhanced joint functions. AES was useful for improving gait and balance due to decreased pain.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.3 no.6
• /
• pp.555-563
• /
• 1999

It is well known that stress induces analgesia. This study was designed to demonstrate the stress-induced analgesia by employing hemorrhage and restraint and to investigate its mechanism and sex difference. The degree of pain was assessed by measuring the magnitude of jaw opening reflex produced by a noxious electrical stimulation in the dental pulp and by measuring the latency to withdraw the tail from a heat ray. Restraint showed an antinociceptive response. A significant increase in pain threshold on bleeding was shown and the increase was larger in male group than in female group. The tail flick latency (TFL) on bleeding after AVP antagonist injection into the ventricle was decreased and the decrease was greater in male rats than in female rats. Castration resulted in a significant reduction of TFL. This effect was reversed by treatment with sex hormones. TFL was decreased during hemorrhage in castrated rats. This response was opposite to that in non-castrated rats. TFL was further decreased during hemorrhage after infusion of AVP antagonist, and there was a significant sex difference. These results suggest that both restraint and hemorrhage produce an antinociception and that, in hemorrhage-induced analgesia, AVP and sex hormones may play an important role and male rats show a greater analgesic response.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.195-200
• /
• 1998

Toinsul consists of breathing method and exercising method by stimulation of acupuncture point and meridian. It activates the circulation of energy and blood and helps excretion of noxious vapor and it improves elasticity and vitality of muscles, tendon md ligament. It sharpens both secretion of synovia .and circulation around joints and also controls the whole body through meridian. This report introduces some about the exercise methods for treatment of lumbago and shoulder joint diseases among medical, surgical and gynecological diseases. It can be used for health care, treatment, relaxation muscles and recovery from fatigue in an aspect of prevention. It has been widely used for treatment of diseases and promotion of health so far even though it is not yet demonstrated scientifically. Therefore, it should be used mere efficiently as an important part of the oriental physical therapy.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.153-160
• /
• 2007

The superficial dorsal horn, particularly substantia gelatinosa (SG) in the spinal cord, receives inputs from small-diameter primary afferents that predominantly convey noxious sensation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are toxic agents that may be involved in various neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies indicate that ROS are also involved in persistent pain through a spinal mechanism. In the present study, whole cell patch clamp recordings were carried out on SG neurons in spinal cord slice of young rats to investigate the effects of hydrogen peroxide on neuronal excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission. In current clamp condition, tert-buthyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH), an ROS donor, depolarized membrane potential of SG neurons and increased the neuronal firing frequencies evoked by depolarizing current pulses. When slices were pretreated with phenyl-N-tert-buthylnitrone (PBN) or ascorbate, ROS scavengers, t-BuOOH did not induce hyperexcitability. In voltage clamp condition, t-BuOOH increased the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs), and monosynaptically evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) by electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral dorsal root. These data suggest that ROS generated by peripheral nerve injury can modulate the excitability of the SG neurons via pre- and postsynaptic actions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.89-100
• /
• 1988

Effect of clonidine on the dorsal horn cell responses to mechanical stimulations were studies in 3 spinalized cats and 10 cats with intact spinal cord. The type of dorsal horn cells was determined according to their response patterns to four graded mechanical stimulations (brush, pressure, pinch and squeeze) applied to the respective receptive fields. In the present study the results obtained only from the wide dynamic range (WDR) cells were included. The responses of the WDR cells to noxious mechanical stimuli were selectively suppressed following intravenous administration of clonidine into the experimental animals. The clonidine-induced changes in responses of the WDR cells to mechanical stimulation were not affected by naloxone or propranolol whereas effect of clonidine on WDR cell responses was almost completely abolished after intravenous administration of yohimbine. Also in the spinalized cats results parallel to those observed in cats with intact spinal cord were obtained. The results of present study strongly implies that analgesic action of clonidine can be mediated through excitation of ${\alpha}_{2}-adrenoceptor$ even at the spinal cord level without supraspinal mechanism.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.181-194
• /
• 1990

Antidromically activated spinoreticular tract (SRT) cell units in the lumbosacral enlargement of ${\alpha}-chloralose$ anesthetized cats were classified as medial and lateral SRT units according to the location of their axonal termination. Identified SRT units were tested fer antidromic conduction velocity, laterality of their axonal projection, the location in spinal gray, peripheral receptive field, the response pattern to graded mechanichal stimulation and the responsiveness to $A{\delta}$ and C volley of the peripheral nerve. 1) The 59% of 34 medial SRT units were recorded in ipsilateral side to the antidromic stimulation site, but 60% of the 47 lateral SRT units projected to contralateral side. 2) Most of the medial SRT cells and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM)-projecting lateral SRT cells were recorded in lamina VII & VIII. The LRN (lateral reticular nucleus)-projecting SRT cells, however, distributed through all the laminae except superficial ones (I & II). 3) The identified SRT units were classified as low theshold (LT), deep, high threshold (HT), wide dynamic range (WDR) cells, based on the response patterns to graded mechanical stimuli. The proportion of SRT units which receive noxious input was 37.5%, 25% and 75% in the medial, LRN-projecting and RVLM SRT group, respectively. 4) There was no significant difference in the mean conduction velocities between the 3 groups. But the deep cells had significantly higher velocity than that of the HT cells. The above results show that the peripheral inputs to the SRT units are different in the 3 groups: medial, LRN & RVLM SRT group. Especially in case of the SRT cells projecting to RVLM which is a probable candidate fur the integration center of various pressor reflexes such as somatosympathetic reflex, the noxious informations occupy higher proportion of input to them than in other groups. Therefore the noxious information transmitted through the lateral SRT destined for RVLM is expected to play a role in somatosymapthetic reflex.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.633-642
• /
• 2003

A pain is the symptom which defends against noxious stimulus about a human body, it is known that if the periphery of perceptive nerve were stimulated by a physical or chemical factors, the stimulation is induced by transmission to pain center in the cerebral cortex according to pain conduction tract. The treatment of pain is to decrease a stimulus that causes a pain or block off a nerve transmitting a stimulus or puts on a way to calm down pain center, but It is for adjustment of a pain to be the most representative in acupuncture among various ways to cure a pain in Oriental medicine. However, the analgesic effect of an individual response to acupuncture stimulation shows marked individual variations, so these days genetic a few approach is attempted. On this the author determined that the responding group was appointed those whose tail flick latency (TFL) responding time delayed the minimum of 30 % comparing with basal reaction time. For those whose TFL time had shorter than 30 % was grouped as a non-responding group. And then the hypothalamus of each group was dissected and RNA was further purified. After synthesizing cDNA using oligo dT primer, products were finally applied to the PCR. The results were as follows; The ratio of responding group to non-responding group was 6:4. Ach T (acetylcholinesterase T subunit), BF-I (Brain factor-I), DBH (Dopamine β-hydroxylase) and PNM (Phosphotidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase) were revealed significantly in the responding group. Cathepsin B and Tau were revealed significantly in the non-responding group. The PCR results show that Ach T, BF-I, DBH and PNM are expressed abundantly in the responding group, where as cathepsin B and tau are abundant in the non-responding group. These results suggest that the analgesic effect on acupuncture stimulation is related to regulation of neurotransmitter as well as neurodegeration of cerebrum.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.97-108
• /
• 2016

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the analgesic effect of Styrax japonica pharmacopuncture on formalin induced pain in rats and to figure out efficient extraction method. Methods : The subjects were divided into 5 groups ; normal group(treated with normal saline at KI03, and injected normal saline at right hindpaw after 35 minutes), control group(treated with normal saline at KI03, and injected with formalin at right hindpaw after 35 minutes), water group(treated by hot water extraction pharmacopuncture at KI03, and injected with formalin at right hindpaw after 35 minutes), ethanol group(treated with ethanol extraction pharmacopuncture at KI03, and injected with formalin at right hindpaw after 35 minutes), and ultrasound group(treated with ultrasound extraction pharmacacupuncture and injected with fromalin formalin at right hindpaw after 35 minutes). We conducted a formalin test with ultrasonic vocalization( USV), and after the test checked for substance P, Aspartate aminotransferase(AST), and Alanine aminotransferase(ALT) concentration in the blood for each of the groups. Results : There was a significant analgesic effect of Styrax japonica pharmacopuncture in the early phase of the formalin test, and pharmacopuncture made with an ultrasound extracting method was observed to have a better analgesic effect than other extracting methods in early phases. The substance P concentration decreased significantly in the Styrax japonica pharmacopuncture treated group and no difference was found in the AST and ALT concentration of each group. Conclusion : These results demonstrated that Styrax japonica pharmacopuncture had analgesic effects in noxious nociceptors stimulation. Also pharmacopuncture made with an ultrasound extracting method had a better analgesic effect than others.