• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.151-165
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• 2008

Objectives : To evaluate the effects of Head Acupuncture versus Upper and Lower Limbs Acupuncture on signal activation of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent(BOLD) fMRI on the Brain and Somatosensory Cortex. Subjects and Methods : 10 healthy normal right-handed female volunteer were recruited. The average age of the 10 subjects was 30 years old. The BOLD functional MRI(fMRI) signal characteristics were determined during tactile stimulation was conducted by rubbing 4 acu-points in the right upper and lower limbs($LI_1$, $LI_{10}$, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$). After stimulation of Head Acupuncture in Sishencong($HN_1$), $GB_{18}$, $GB_9$, $TH_{20}$ of Left versus Upper and Lower Limbs Acupuncture($LI_1$, $LI_{10}$, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$ of Right) and took off needles. Then the BOLD fMRI signal characteristics were determined at the same manner. Results : 1. When touched with cotton buds(sensory stimulation), left Parietal Lobe, Post-central Gyrus, primary somatosensory cortex(BA 1, 2, 3), and primary motor cortex(BA 4) were mainly activated. When $ST_{36}$ was stimulated, Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Cerebellum, and Posterior Lobe as well as Inter-Hemispheric displaying a variety of regions. 2. In signal activation before and after Head Acupuncture reaction, it showed signal activation after removing the acupuncture needle and right Somatosensory Association Cortex, Postcentral Gyrus, and Parietal Lobe were more activated. 3. In reactions of before and after Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture, it also showed signal activation after removing the acupuncture needle and bilateral Occipital Lobe, Lingual Gyrus, visual association cortex, and Cerebellum were activated. 4. After acupuncture stimulation, In Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture Group, left frontal Lobe, Precentral Gyrus and Bilateral parietal lobe, Postcentral Gyrus and Primary Somatosensory Cortex(BA 2) were activated. In Head Acupuncture Group, which has most similar activation regions, but especially right Pre-Post central Gyrus, Primary Somatosensory Cortex(BA 3), Primary Motor Cortex, frontal Lobe and Parietal Lobe were activated. Conclusions : When sensory stimulation was done with cotton buds on four acup-points($LI_1$, $LI_{10}4, $LV_3$, $ST_{36}$), while bilaterally activated, contralateral sense was more dominant. It showed consistency with cerebral cortex function. When $ST_{36}$ was stimulated Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Cerebellum, Posterior Lobe as well as Inter-Hemispheric were stimulated. In Head Acupuncture, it showed more contralateral activation after acupuncture. In Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture, it showed typically contralateral activation and deactivation of limbic system after acupuncture stimulation. Therefore, there were different fMRI BOLD signal activation reaction before and after Head Acupuncture vs Upper and Lower Limb Acupuncture which might be thought to be caused by acu-points' sensitivity and different sensory receptor to response acupuncture stimulation.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.200-210
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• 2000

By process of treatment for a case which diagnosed as spinal cord infarction and admitted from the 18th, April, 2000 to the 29th, July, 2000, the result are as foilows. Method and Results : In the earlier days of admission, this patient was diagnosed as damp-heat(濕熱) and was dosed with Cheongjo-tang. In medication, weakness in upper and lower limbs of the patient was improving. After diagnosed as Taeyangin, the patient was dosed with Ogapijangchuk-tang and punctured with Taeyangin Taegeuk-chim and Sagae-chim. As the result, Weakness in upper and lower limbs are improved remarkably. Conclusion : The prognosis of patients diagnosed spinal cord infarction is not so good. But, in the case of this patient, power and sense of four limbs improved remarkably through oriental medical treatment with rehabilitative therapy.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.187-193
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• 2007

Objectives : The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between electrical detection of ear acupuncture points and musculoskeletal pain. Methods : 18 adults who have musculoskeletal pain without trauma factorsparticipated in this study. They answered the questionnaire and their ear acupuncture points were examined with electrical detectors. We analyzed the relationship between electrical detection of ear acupuncture points and musculoskeletal pain with concordance rate and validity. Results : Total concordance rates of the head region was 68.00%(questionnaire) 32.08%(investigation), that of vertebral region was 67.86%, 59.38%, that of both upper limbs was 86.67%, 39.69%, and that of both lower limbs was 50.00%, 23.46%. The true positive rate was 0.704, the true negative rate was 0.492, the false positive rate was 0.508, and the false negative rate was 0.296 in the validity test. In the head, two concordance rates of the temporal and occipital regions were relatively higher than those of the parietal and frontal regions. In the vertebral region, two concordance rates of the cervical and lumbar regions were relatively higher than those of the thoracic and sacrum regions. In the upper limb, two concordance rates of the shoulder and shoulder joints were relatively higher than those of the others. In the lower limb, concordance rates of investigation were relatively low at all areas. The right lower limb was relatively higher than the left in concordance rates of the questionnaire. Conclusions : The results suggest that electrical detection of ear acupuncture points can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal pain.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.58-63
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• 2010

Objective: We present a case of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain with the aim of driving further study evaluating the effectiveness of Oriental medical treatment on patients with neuropathic pain. Method: We prescribed Bogijetong-tang (BJT) two times a day and performed acupuncture and moxibustion once a day over one month of hospitalization. Laboratory tests were performed twice a month during this period. To evaluate the therapeutic effect, Total Symptom Score (TSS) or Visual Analog Score (VAS) was examined at intervals of 7 days. Result: Laboratory data showed no abnormal signs compared with those of initial examination. The patient's subjective symptoms were rapidly relieved within one month. Also, the sums of TSS scores (upper limbs/lower limbs) decreased from 13.64/7.32 to 3.32/3.32 points, and VAS scores (upper limbs/lower limbs) improved from 19/10 to 6/8 points. Conclusion: This case presents a possibility that Oriental medical treatment may offer potential benefits (from an approach aimed at relieving of pain) for patients with chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical studies of cupping therapy for obesity in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and to evaluate the effects of it for use in practice. CNKI were searched for controlled studies on cupping therapy for obesity that were published up to September 2015. The review included 9 randomized controlled trials, and we analyzed the objectives, process of interventions, outcome measurements, and main results of the studies. We found that cupping therapy combined with acupuncture, electric acupuncture or thread embedding have more effectively decreased body mass index, waist circumference and lipid profile than acupuncture, electric acupuncture or thread embedding only have done. In the reviewed studies, cupping therapy treated in the region of abdomen, upper and lower limbs, and dorsal part operating on 5 to 25 minutes for one time with total 6 to 45 times of schedule. In this study, we demonstrated that cupping therapy combined with acupuncture, electric acupuncture or thread embedding could have effectively used for treating obesity. Further evaluation and clinical researches are required to establish evidence in practice.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.225-235
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• 2009

Objective : The purpose of this study was to report a case of a treatment with Scolopendrae Corpus Herbal-Acupuncture for one patient suffering from the Cervical Myelopathy. Scolopendrae Corpus Herbal-Acupuncture has been used as a analgesics and antispasmodics in the oriental medicine and reported to have antiinflammatory effect, sedative action and immunity enhancing activity, on one patient suffering from the Cervical Myelopathy. Methods : TThe patient was treated with Scolopendrae Corpus Herbal-Acupuncture, acupuncture, herbal medication. Scolopendrae Corpus Pharmacopuncture was administered two or three times per week and we injected 0.2~1.0 ml of Scolopendrae Corpus Pharmacopuncture to the patient's neck and both arms. The improvement of the symptoms was evaluated by JOA score(Japanese Orthopedic Association score), Nurick grading, VAS(Visual Analog Scale), reflex testing, Finger escape sign, Grip and Release test. Result : After 5 weeks of treatment, the patient's JOA score, Nurick grading and VAS were improved from 12 to 16, from grade III to grade II and from 10 to 3 respectively. The movement and power of upper and lower limbs were restored to nearly normal range.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.140-146
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• 2004

Objectives : this study is to see if there is a significance in thermal differences of acupoints in diagnosis and treatment period of facial paralysis and to substantiate the validity of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for it. Methods : 1. By using DITI, thermal differences of acupoints on the face and the upper limbs of 13 Bell's palsy patients were measured around 3 days after an attack of the disease. These 13 patients, whose treatment progress was monitored up to 6 months after attack, were among the inpatients and outpatients of oriental internal medicine of National Medical Center from July 1 to August 31. 2. The patients were divided into 1month, 2-3months, 4months, 6months groups according to the occasion of improvement and thermal averages of each treatment period measured. Results : When it takes within 1 month for the condition of facial paralysis to change for the better, DITI image shows the temperature of the affected face parts and arms is higher than that of the non-affected parts. However, when it takes more than 4 months, the temperature of the affected face parts and arms on DITI image is lower than that of the non-affected parts. Conclusions : Hereby, prognosis of the disease and necessary time for the treatment can be presumed through DITI screening after an occurrence of facial paralysis. Also, condition of the disease is reflected by thermal differences of acupoints for Bell's palsy treatment that are in accordance with the theory of meridian on the face. This supports the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for this disease.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.211-221
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• 2005

Objective : The aim of this study is to review clinical trials on the effectiveness of acupuncture in stroke rehabilitation. Methods : Computerized literature searches was carried out on three electronic databases, and hand-searching on some chinese medical journals in library of Kyung Hee Medical Center. Results : 1) Sixteen articles of clinical trials were collected and reviewed. Among these articles, randomized controlled trials were achieved in nine articles. 2) In three articles, statically significant results in improvement of mobile abilities, activities of daily life and Quality of life were reported after acupuncture treatment applied as a part of stroke rehabilitation. In three articles no statically significant changes were reported. 3) Among two articles about spasticity, One about the upper limbs and the results showed statically significant improvement of the spasticity after acupuncture treatment as stroke rehabilitation, and the other was about the lower limbs and the results showed no statically significant changes. 4) One article about acupuncture and postural control showed statically significant results suggesting that acupuncture promotes normalization of postural control after stroke.

• The Journal of Churna Manual Medicine for Spine and Nerves
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2007

Objective : Poly neuropathy is disease that reveals musle relaxation or sensory disorder, and Myopathy is disease that reveals musle weakness, wasting, pain. These diseases occur in the lower or upper limbs. This is the clinical report about Poly neuropathy or Myopathy estimated patients. Method : Patients were treated by acupuncture, herb medicine, bee venom herbal-acupuncture, moxibustion. We evaluated the improvement of symptoms with ROM(Range of Motion) and MCR(Medical Research Council) standard. Result : Symptoms that patients have at admission improved and disappered gradually with oriental medicine therapy. Observing the change of ROM and MCR standard, they indicated us improvement of disease. Conclusion : We achived a desirable result from treatment of peripheral neuropathy or myopathy estimated patients. However, further studies are required to prove the effect of oriental medicine treatment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.173-183
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the effect of Korean Medicine treatment on a patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Methods : A 60-year-old woman who was diagnosed as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease was admitted with both lower and upper limbs weakness, difficulty in walking, palm pain and neck pain. The patient was treated with acupuncture, electroacupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping therapy and physical treatment from 2th September 2013 to 14th November 2013. Improvement of the patient's symptoms was evaluated by numeric rating scale(NRS), visual analog scale(VAS), SF-36 bodily pain and patient global assessment(PGA). Results : After treatment, pain Intensity evaluated by VAS was significantly decreased(from 7.2 to 2). Increased SF-36 bodily pain score(from 10 to 67.5) showed that patient's quality of life has been improved. Conclusions : These results suggest that Korean medicine treatment may be effective in reducing the symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.