• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.86-101
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• 2019

Objectives: This review is aimed at assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for interstitial cystitis patients through literature research and overview. Methods: Database searching was conducted to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical studies on the acupuncture treatment for interstitial cystitis patients. Studies were searched from Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology, KISS, KMBASE, CNKI, Cochrane library, PubMed and EmBase up to April 2019. Results: Five studies including three RCTs and two clinical studies were finally selected. Three studies showed that acupuncture was effective for interstitial cystitis. One study showed ineffectiveness of acupuncture treatment. Conclusions: From three studies, acupuncture treatment for interstitial cystitis patients showed symptoms relief and improvement of QoL (Quality of Life). Further strictly designed studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and setup the acupuncture treatment protocol.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report the clinical improvement of a patient who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair using a rehabilitation protocol involving Korean medicine. Methods: The patient was treated with acupuncture, cupping, Korean Medicine, Chuna therapy, and Doin exercise therapy during the admission period. To estimate the patient's status, we used the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Pain Disability Index (PDI), assessments of the range of motion (ROM) and Muscle Manual Test (MMT) for the shoulder joint. Results: After administering the abovementioned treatments, we found that the patient's NRS, PDI, and ROM and MMT for the shoulder joint were improved. Conclusions: The rehabilitation protocol involving Korean medicine can be applied to and produce good results for patients who undergo arthroscopic repair for Bankart lesions. The limitation of the study was that the number of cases we studied was insufficient to prove the effectiveness. Hence, further studies are needed for designing the rehabilitation protocol involving Korean medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.148-154
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• 2021

Purpose: This study covered the effect of shoulder stabilization exercise on muscle activity, postural alignment and self-efficacy of the elderly people with round shoulders by visiting village hall in rural area. Methods: 40 elderly people with round shoulders were recruited for this study (experimental group: 20 subjects and control group: 20 subjects). The experimental group was asked to perform shoulder stabilization exercise 60 minutes per one time for 8 weeks and three times in a week and the control group was asked to receive education related to pain management for the initial one time. Before and after the experiment, we measured the subjects' muscle activity of upper trapezius, serratus anterior, infraspinatus, pectoralis major and the lower trapezius, then postural alignment of craniovertebral angle and round shoulder posture. In addition, self-efficacy is measured through the questionnaire. Results: Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant differences in the muscle activity of all muscles, posture alignment of the craniovertebral angle. round shoulder posture, and improvement of self-efficacy. Conclusion: We found that shoulder stabilization exercise is effective in muscle activity, postural alignment and self-efficacy of the elderly people through visit-rehabilitation service. This study can be used for improving the physical and mental abilities through active visit-rehabilitation service for areas where have poor medical benefits. It is considered that systematic visit rehabilitation service should have institutional framework ultimately.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.227-236
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• 2021

Background: Emergencies in outpatient clinics are rare. However, potentially catastrophic events can be challenging to manage due to a variety of factors, including limited equipment and staff. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve the staff knowledge and familiarity with critical performance elements for emergencies encountered in the setting of a periodontics clinic. Methods: Emergency cognitive aids tailored to the clinic's resources were created for anaphylaxis, airway obstruction, and sublingual hemorrhage. The project pre-post-test repeated measures design evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive aids using a combination of hands-on simulation, written knowledge assessments, and self-efficacy surveys. Training sessions and simulations were provided to the clinic's existing care teams made up of a periodontist and two dental assistants with an anesthetist who was present for simulations involving sedation. Due to the small sample size (N = 14) and non-normal distribution, all metrics were evaluated using non-parametric statistics. Results: Significant improvements were found in knowledge assessment (-2.310, P = 0.021) and self-efficacy (-2.486, P = 0.013) scores when retention after a training session before and after the introduction of cognitive aid was compared. The mean simulation scores and times improved steadily or reached maximum scores during the project progression. Conclusion: Training sessions before and after cognitive aid introduction were effective in improving knowledge, self-efficacy, and simulation performance. Future projects should focus on validating the process for creating contextualized cognitive aids and evaluating the effectiveness of these cognitive aids in larger samples.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

Total joint arthroplasty is a successful joint replacement treatment that improves joint function and overall quality of life and provides pain relief. However, the prevalence of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has become prevalent with the rise in the incidence of arthroplasty surgery. PJI occurs rarely following arthroplasty however presents with serious complications, including high morbidity. The identification of causative microorganisms is essential for the treatment of PJI. Managing PJI requires complex treatment strategies, including long-term antibacterial treatment, and significant medical costs can be incurred. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Surgical Care Improvement Project guidelines recommend that prophylactic antibiotics such as first-generation cephalosporins be infused completely 1 hour before surgical incision. However, these preventative antibiotics are very limited, therefore risk factors must be identified to diagnosis and treat patients effectively. Moreover, determining antimicrobial susceptibility during artificial joint surgery and choosing the most appropriate treatment strategy following an accurate diagnosis of microbial infections are essential. In the present review, we describe the management, including the etiology, diagnosis, and classification of PJI, and approaches to its diagnosis using the available novel molecular diagnostic methods.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.451-459
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• 2022

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the effectiveness of modified Guibi-tang in a patient suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Methods: A 54-year-old Korean female patient diagnosed with recurrent ovarian cancer had CIPN with other symptoms, such as anorexia, dyspepsia, insomnia, etc. She was diagnosed with Simbiyangheo and hence treated with a modified Guibi-tang. Neuropathic symptoms were assessed using a numerical rating scale (NRS) and a sensory score. Quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx). Results: After 14 days of treatment, the patients showed a decrease in NRS for bilateral limb pain and improvement in other symptoms, such as general weakness, insomnia, dizziness, and headache. Quality of life also increased. Conclusion: Modified Guibi-tang may be considered an optional treatment for CIPN if the patient is diagnosed with Simbiyangheo. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 2022

Peripheral facial nerve palsy is a neurological condition/disease characterized by unilateral paralysis of the facial muscles. We report the effects of complex Korean medicine treatment in 2 patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy who developed symptoms 3-4 days following vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and who received oral steroids and antiviral medications. Complex Korean medicine treatments including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, bee venom acupuncture, cupping therapy, herbal medicine, and physical therapy were performed. Symptom improvement was evaluated daily using the Numerical Rating Scale, House-Brackmann Grade, and Yanagihara's Score. Patient 1 was hospitalized for 22 days and Patient 2 visited the outpatient clinic 20 times. In both cases, postauricular pain caused by Bell's palsy disappeared, and symptoms of facial paralysis improved following completion of treatment. These findings could suggest that combined Korean medicine treatment may improve symptoms of peripheral facial nerve palsy.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.170-181
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• 2022

This review evaluated the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) for chronic fatigue syndrome. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using EA as an intervention for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were identified in 6 databases (PUBMED, EMBASE, CNKI, J-STAGE, KMBASE, OASIS). Fatigue indicators were used as the primary outcome measures. The quality-of-life index, efficiency rate, and level of pain were used as secondary outcome measures. There were 408 patients from seven RCTs included in this study. Meta-analysis showed that EA was significantly associated with fatigue relief compared with the control group (n = 141 SMD = -1.55, 95% CI; -2.58 - -0.52, p = 0.003, I² = 92%). In addition, EA had a statistically significant improvement in quality of life compared with the control group (n = 176, SMD = -2.29, 95% CI; -3.68 - -0.90, p = 0.001, I² = 96%). One study reported ten cases of bleeding, however, no serious adverse events were reported in any of the included studies. This review determined that EA may have a greater clinical effect than the control group for fatigue relief and improved quality of life. However, there were several risks of bias identified. Not all of the RCTs accurately reported the research method, all studies were conducted in 1 country (China), and the number of studies included were small.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.75-90
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study protocol is firstly to investigate the status of Korean medical treatment of dysmenorrhea, and secondly to investigate effectiveness of the Clinical Pathway (CP) of dysmenorrhea and review the applicability. Methods: This is a multi-center observational study. The data will be prospectively collected from 14 Korean medicine clinics. 45 patients for each of the CP-applied and non-applied groups will be recruited to compare the degree of improvement in menstrual pain. All the diagnosis records, treatment methods, treatment results, adverse events, and medical expenses of patients with dysmenorrhea will be collected. We will investigate the proportion of patients who could be applied with CP, and the actual number of CP applications, and CP completion rate to evaluate the applicability. Additionally, the satisfaction survey will be used to collect feedback from medical staff members and patients. Results: The results of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations. Conclusions: This study is expected to provide valuable data for application of standard Korean medicine clinical pathway for dysmenorrhea.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2023

Varicose veins have a substantial burden on individuals' aesthetics and overall quality of life. The current body of research on Korean medical interventions for varicose veins is limited in Korea, and exploration into clinical trends is lacking. This review specifically analyzed fire acupuncture, which is an understudied intervention in Korea that demonstrated efficacy in alleviating pain and paralysis while promoting tissue regeneration. A comprehensive investigation of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database was conducted, utilizing terms such as "varicose vein," "fire needle," "fire acupuncture," "burning acupuncture," "burning needle," "huǒzhēn," "xiàzhī jìngmài," and "jìngmài qūzhāng." This review included 14 studies investigating the role of fire acupuncture in treating varicose veins. We extracted variables, including age, sex, disease duration, intervention method, treatment frequency, treatment period, acupoints, and outcomes. Fire acupuncture appeared as the primary intervention method, followed by general acupuncture. The protruding part of varicose veins is the main treatment area for fire acupuncture, while the acupoints BL57 and ST36 were most frequently utilized for general acupuncture. Treatment results revealed significant improvement in all studies. However, there are limitations, such as scarce studies, limited side effects studies, and potential bias. Consequently, extensive and well-structured future studies are necessary to demonstrate the role of fire acupuncture in varicose veins.