• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2019

Objectives This study was performed to research the trends of Korean traditional medicine treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods Clinical studies about Korean traditional medicine of CSM were searched in 7 online databases. We extracted the characteristics of selected studies according to author, publication year, country, research design, treatment methods, evaluation tools, and adverse events. Results Nineteen studies were selected in online databases. The included studies consist of 8 uncontrolled trial, 7 case reports, 3 randomized controlled trials and 1 non-randomized controlled trials. In these studies, various Korean traditional medicine treatments were performed, and herbal medicine was the most common. The most commonly used outcomes was effective rate. Conclusions This study showed that Korean traditional medicine could be an effective treatment for CSM. It was suggested that various studies should be conducted to provide objective evidence of the therapeutic effects of Korean traditional medicine treatment for CSM.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.420-426
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• 2016

Objective: This case report examined a patient to determine if traditional Korean medicine treatment was effective for treating acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) diagnosed with moyamoya disease.Method: The patient was treated with herbal medicine, acupuncture, and Western medicine and was followed up with for symptoms, vital signs, and brain computed tomography (CT) scans.Results: During the treatment, the patient’s mental state was mostly alert. The patient’s headaches were improved after the use of painkillers; the patient’s fever and blood pressure were well controlled. The cerebral hematoma was removed smoothly.Conclusion: Traditional Korean medical therapy (herbal medicine and acupuncture) along with Western methods appeared to be effective in managing the acute phase of ICH diagnosed with moyamoya disease.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.795-808
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to report two cases of prostate cancer patients whose side effects after surgery were treated with traditional Korean medicine. Methods: Two prostate cancer patients underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, and both patients were treated with traditional Korean medicine. Subjective discomfort symptoms were evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale. Adverse events were evaluated using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5.0. Daily life vitality was evaluated by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Results: After treatment with traditional Korean medicine, discomfort symptoms that occurred after surgery, such as frequent urination, nocturia, insomnia, and depression, all gradually improved, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores also improved from two points to one point. Additionally, there were no hematologic side effects from the traditional Korean medicine treatment. Conclusions: This case study suggests that traditional Korean medicine may contribute to the improvement of side effects caused by robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, quality of life, and immunity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.547-561
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• 2024

In this study, we aim to investigate the precise alterations in the gut microbiota during the onset and advancement of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and examine the impact of Ruminococcus gnavus (R. gnavus) on DN. Eight-week-old male KK-Ay mice were administered antibiotic cocktails for a duration of two weeks, followed by oral administration of R. gnavus for an additional eight weeks. Our study revealed significant changes in the gut microbiota during both the initiation and progression of DN. Specifically, we observed a notable increase in the abundance of Clostridia at the class level, higher levels of Lachnospirales and Oscillospirales at the order level, and a marked decrease in Clostridia_UCG-014 in DN group. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Oscillospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae at the family level. Moreover, oral administration of R. gnavus effectively aggravated kidney pathology in DN mice, accompanied by elevated levels of urea nitrogen (UN), creatinine (Cr), and urine protein. Furthermore, R. gnavus administration resulted in down-regulation of tight junction proteins such as Claudin-1, Occludin, and ZO-1, as well as increased levels of uremic toxins in urine and serum samples. Additionally, our study demonstrated that orally administered R. gnavus up-regulated the expression of inflammatory factors, including nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and Interleukin (IL)-6. These changes indicated the involvement of the gut-kidney axis in DN, and R. gnavus may worsen diabetic nephropathy by affecting uremic toxin levels and promoting inflammation in DN.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.820-827
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• 2017

The prevalence of breast cancer is very high in Korea. Although the patients receive standard treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, they frequently experience recurrence or metastasis of their tumors. In addition, many patients with breast cancer also suffer from side effect symptoms induced by these standard treatments. Therefore, increasing numbers of patients now want to undergo treatment with traditional Korean medicine (TKM) in addition to conventional treatment. We present a case of 46-year-old female with recurred breast cancer. She first received two kinds of chemotherapy and then underwent surgery. She then also received 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy. At a follow-up examination, she was informed of recurrent lesions on the right anterior chest wall. She started to receive TKM treatments together with a new chemotherapy. After about one month, the size of the recurred tumor in right chest wall had decreased. Her symptoms, such as shoulder pain, chest pain, and nausea induced by conventional therapy, were also improved. We suggest that a combination of TKM and chemotherapy is a promising treatment for breast cancer.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report a clinical progress of treatment of fibromyalgia through Traditional Korean medicine treatment. A patient was diagnosed with fibromyalgia by clinical correlation on 2009 in Jeonnam university hospital, he had multi sited pain and severe muscle spasm. Methods : Between 27th march 2014 and 15th April 2014, he was treated with acupuncture, cupping, electro-acupuncture and chuna therapy every day and observed by visual analogue scale and assessment about number of pain site and square of pain. Results : After treated by using above treatment, VAS and assessment about number of pain site and square of pain were improved. Conclusions : Chuna therapy and other Traditional Korean medicine treatment are estimated to be good for fibromyalgia. But more cases are required to prove the effectiveness of chuna therapy on fibromyalgia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2024

This review examined and analyzed clinical research trends in the treatment of compression fractures in traditional Korean medicine using case studies. Accordingly, 5 web databases were searched using relevant Korean and English terms. Based on predefined exclusion and inclusion criteria, 16 case studies were selected, analyzed, and classified according to the journal, publication year, participants, chief complaints, affected vertebrae, treatment and evaluation methods, and improvement. The case studies reported various treatment methods, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, physical therapy, cupping, moxibustion, and band training. All 16 case studies reported the use of combination therapy. All 23 cases reported in these case studies demonstrated improvement in chief complaints, and none reported any side effects.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.151-158
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• 2012

Objectives : To broaden understanding about meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture on nerve compression syndrome of upper limbs and to evaluate the effect of meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture on nerve compression syndrome of upper limbs. Methods and Results : From June 1st to Oct. 31th, the patients were outpatients for treatment of nerve compression syndrome of upper limbs in department of acupuncture and moxibustion, traditional Korean medical hospital, Semyung University and treated with meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture. To evaluate the effect of meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture, thickness of muscle by medical skinfold caliper, coding result(arbitary values used to evaluate results) and VAS(Chief complain) were used. As a result, muscle atropy and symptoms are improved remarkably. Conslusions: Meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture was found to be helpful to patients who wish to recover from their muscle atropy and symptoms of upper limbs. In order to make this meridian tendino-musculature acupuncture more available, we should pay more attention to improving treatment appliance and acupuncture technique.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.129-146
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• 2009

Background and Objectives: The purpose of the study was to explore the attitude of workers toward a system of collaborative hospital practice between western and traditional Korean medicine, to identify factors influencing this attitude, and discuss the reasons socioeconomic groups' differences. Method: The data were collected with a questionnaire for this study from 14 April 2009 to 1 May 2009. Data were analyzed mainly via non-parametric statistics and logistic regressions utilising SPSS 17.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) to determine the workers' attitude about the hospital system and to predict factors contributing to positive attitudes. Results: A total of 1,260 workers working for large factories in Gwangju Metropolitan City. Findings confirmed that more than 40% of the workers show interest in the system and about 44% of the workers also express positive attitudes. Factors found to influence the workers' response included marital status, income level, health status, experience in complementary medicine services, the number of health care facilities' visit. Conclusions: The prospects to establish the system of collaborative hospital practice as reflected by the workers' view about the Korean health care service delivery system. Their attitudes toward the system differed among socioeconomic groups. Government and health care providers should identify the socioeconomic subgroups' demands and opinions in order to find and develop measures of integrating western and traditional Korean medicine in health care facilities.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.145-155
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of traditional Korean medicine treatment of cervical vertigo. Three patients were diagnosed as cervical vertigo with correlating symptoms of imbalance and dizziness with neck pain. The diagnosis of cervical vertigo is also dependent on excluding other vestibular disorders on the basis of history, examination, and vestibular function tests. They were treated by acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound at acupoints and sympathetic ganglion chain of their cervical and upper thoracic region. The evaluation of clinical outcome was done by numeric rating scale (NRS), dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) and neck disability index (NDI), EuroQol-five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) index. After the treatment, the value of their NRS, NDI, DHI was significantly decreased and their EQ-5D index was significantly increased. The traditional Korean medicine treatment at cervical and upper thoracic region could be an effective way to treat cervical vertigo.