• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2019

Background: To suggest potential of Korean medicine treatments as a conservative management for neurogenic claudication and lower extremity weakness due to spinal stenosis. Case Summary: The patient suffered weakness, pain and numbness of the right leg and difficulty walking with diagnosis of spinal stenosis due to herniated lumbar intervertebral disc. Korean medicine treatments, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture and Chuna manual therapy were applied. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of pain and numbness in the right leg decreased from 7 to 4, with an increase in strength of the right leg from 60% to 95% compared to the strength of left leg. Walking duration also increased from less than one minute to more than five minutes. Conclusion: Korean medicine treatment may be considered as an effective conservative management for symptoms of spinal stenosis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.73-77
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• 2017

Objectives: To inform a clinical case of a refractory levator ani syndrome, that was improved by treatments of traditional Korean medicine (TKM). Methods: A 55-years old female had complained severe anorectal pain which didn't respond to Western medicine therapeutics during 5 months including 45-day hospitalization. Whereas the symptom was rapidly resolved by the treatment in a Korean medicine hospital, and the clinical outcome was monitored. Result: There was no abnormality explaining the anorectal pain from blood tests, gastrointestinal endoscopy, sonogram and computed tomography for abdomen and pelvis. The patient was diagnosed with a levator ani syndrome. Based on the typical feature of tenderness of lower abdomen as well as beating sign around belly, an herbal drug, Shihogayonggolmoryo-tang (柴胡加龍骨牡蠣湯) was prescribed. In addition, the warm acupuncture at BL 31 to BL 33 and moxibustion on lower abdomen were given to the patient. The anorectal pain was radically reduced from treatment 7-day, and it almost disappeared within treatment 25-day. Conclusion: This case report would provide information for the potential of TKM therapies focused on the refractory levator ani syndrome which no satisfactory therapy exist.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.341-354
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• 2013

Objective : The main idea of this article is to investigate the shamanistic medical activities through the traditional Chinese classics in the Zhou Dynasty. The ancient shaman played a bridge role between human beings and supernatural things like ghosts. Even though he didn't have the super power, the ancients believed that he could take care of all kinds of illness. Therefore, it can be said that the medicine of the Zhou Dynasty was still under the shamanism although it had already started to be specialized and professionalized. Method : This article is going to look into the detailed aspects of the shamanistic medical activities, for example, divination of illness, Zhuyou(祝由), shamanistic preventive medicine, and so on, through the traditional Chinese classics of Zhou Dynasty. Result : The medical knowledge of that time stayed in the early stage, so it was simple and raw. Also it had scientific and unscientific characters in itself at the same time. That's why it could be included in the shamanism. And about the shamanistic medical activities seen on underground written attestations, they will be offered through another article of mine, entitled A Research of Shamanistic Medical Activities on Underground Written Attestations in the Zhou Dynasty(兩周出土文獻所見之醫療巫術考察), which is being written now. Conclusion : From beginning of the Eastern Zhou period, the medicine gradually got to be specialized. And then specialized medical treatments and shamanistic medical activities began to be divided as the different two occupations. However, it is an unchangeable truth that the ancient shaman played an important role in the Chinese traditional medicine. Therefore, it can be said that he was in the very special position in the Chinese traditional medicine.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.776-784
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of traditional Korean medicine treatments on a patient diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. Case Summary: A 29-year-old male patient suffering from lower back pain and chest pain was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. Korean medicine treatments, including acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine, were applied. The treatment effect was evaluated with a numeral rating scale (NRS) for pain and by changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). After 44 days of treatment, the patient's symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis were improved. The NRS score for lower back pain decreased from 3 to 2, and the NRS score for chest pain decreased from 10 to 1. In addition, the ESR level decreased from 13 to 10 and the CRP level decreased from 1.39 to 0.84. Conclusion: The integrative Korean medicine treatments appeared to be effective in relieving pain associated with ankylosing spondylitis.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2015

Objectives : To evaluate the evidence supporting the effectiveness of Chuna manual therapy for functional dyspepsia. Methods : We conducted search across the 3 electronic databases (Pubmed, CAJ and Oasis) to find all of randomized controlled clinical trials(RCTs) that used Chuna manual therapy as a treatment for functional dyspepsia. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Results : Thirteen RCTs met our inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed positive results for the use of Chuna manual therapy combined with medication treatments in terms of the efficacy rate when compared to medication treatments alone. Positive results were also obtained, in terms of the efficacy rate, when comparing Chuna manual therapy combined with medication plus specific electromagnetic therapy to medication treatments alone. Conclusions : Our systematic review found encouraging but limited evidence of Chuna manual therapy for functional dyspepsia. However, to obtain stronger evidence without the drawbacks of trial design and the quality of studies, we recommend sham-controlled RCTs or comparative effectiveness research to test the effectiveness of Chuna manual therapy.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.343-352
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed to review the research trends in treatment for REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Kampo in Japan. Methods: We searched articles in CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) under the key words, "RBD", and Chinese words related with it in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs and Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine With Western Medicine' field, and also in CiNii (Citation Information by NII); we also searched articles in Kampo Square in Japan under the key words, "RBD" and Japanese words related with it. We found 10 papers, and then selected 6 of them except the non-clinical and unrelated studies. We then analyzed their way of diagnosis, treatments, study type and etc.. Results: 6 studies were divided into 4 case reports, one control study, and one literature review study. All of the studies reported that Herbal medicine for RBD was effective as much as Western medicine like clonazepam and paroxetine. However, the quality and the quantity of these clinical studies were not enough. Conclusions: It seems that the researches for RBD have gradually been performed in TCM and Kampo. We hope that our study can activate/push forward clinical research for this disorder in Korean traditional medicine.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.73-83
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• 2008

The rapid change of the health and medical environment and the globalization of medicine has driven doctors to converge and analyse of new and up-to-date medical information and decide to what to make decision for diagnosis and treatments in clinical practice. Medical environment goes with the changes with social environment such as rapid increase of aging population, changes of disease pattern, formation of new area of experts except doctors, government intervention for the medical system, medical insurance of the charges of medical treatment, a increased desire for human rights. These trends should be adopted rapidly to the education system for the students of medical school. The learning objectives of the preventive medicine was developed in 1995 and underwent necessary revision of the contents to create the first revision in 2006. However, the required educational contents of health promotion and disease prevention have been changed by the new trends of medical education such as PBL and integrated curriculum and the 2006 revision does not satisfy these needs. We formed a task force which surveyed all the Western and Traditional Korean medical colleges to describe the state of preventive medicine education in Korea, analyzed the changing education demand according to the change of health environment and quantitatively measured the validity and usefulness of each learning objective in the previous curriculum. With these results, for the good education for preventive medicine, each Traditional Korean medicine schools need more preventive medicine faculties and teaching assistants and opening of some required subjects such as Yangsaeng and Qigong. And future studies of the learning process and ongoing development of teaching materials according to the new learning objectives should be undertaken with persistence in order to ensure the progress of preventive medicine education.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.105-112
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was to report the effect of Traditional Korean Medicine to Rheumatoid arthritis after parturition. Methods: A woman who complained of arthralgia, edema, sweating and chilling after parturition was enrolled in this study. We treated her by oriental treatments (herb medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion) to improve her symptoms. We checked her by symptoms and serologic test. Results: After treatments, the clinical symptoms and serologic signs improved. Conclusions: This case study shows that TKM treatment is effective for rheumatoid arthritis after parturition.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.283-292
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• 2020

Background: This case study suggests the potential use of Korean medicine treatments as a conservative management for low back pain and decreased living function due to herniation of intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine. Case Summary: The patient suffered low back pain and decreased living function due to herniation of intervertebral discs of the lumbar spine. Korean medicine treatments, including herbal medicine, acupuncture performed on BL23, BL40, SP6, and GB39, and pharmacupuncture containing Sinbaro, were applied for eight days. The numeric rating scale (NRS) results for low back pain decreased from 6 to 2 and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) low back pain scores decreased from 75.56 to 31.11. Walking time also increased from less than one minute to 20 minutes, with an increase in range of motion (ROM) from "Uncheckable" to about normal motion range. Conclusion: Korean medicine treatment can be considered to be an effective conservative management option for pain and decreased living function in patients with herniation of intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.39-51
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• 2024

Objectives : Diabetes is a chronic disease that is rapidly increasing worldwide, and recent studies suggest that gut microbiome dysbiosis may be one of the main reasons for diabetes. Therefore, we have reviewed the relationship between diabetes and microbiome changes and their regulation by treatment of traditional herbal medicine. Methods : This review was prepared by querying in PubMed with the key words such as diabetes, microbiome and traditional herbal medicine. The search was conducted for research articles including both in vivo preclinical reports and clinical studies, up to July 22, 2024 within the past five years. Results : Gut microbiota dysbiosis is implicated in diabetes through major mechanisms, including increased endotoxin (LPS), decreased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, reduced gut microbiota diversity, and impaired bile acid metabolism in mouse models and human cohorts. Traditional herbal medicines including berberine and bicalein and formulations such as Gegen Qinlian Decoction, Banxia Xiexin Decoction, and Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction improved diabetes by increasing the gut microbiota diversity and SCFA generation. Conclusion : Gut microbiota imbalance plays an important role in the onset and progression of diabetes especially type 2 diabetes which is improved by traditional herbal medicines promoting the growth of beneficial microbiome and suppressing pathogenic abundance. It may provide a promising prospect for more effective diabetes management and treatment strategies.