• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.918-928
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• 2022

Objectives: This study reports on the efficacy of Korean medical treatments for a functional dyspepsia patient with panic disorder and lower back pain. Methods: A 51-year-old male patient with functional dyspepsia was treated with herbal medicines and acupuncture for 17 days. The treatment effect was evaluated by measurements drawn from the Numerical Rating Scale, range of motion, Oswestry Disability Index, European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions Scale, and Gastrointestinal Symptom Score. Results: Following the treatment, the patient showed a decrease on the Numerical Rating Scale and Oswestry Disability Index and in Gastrointestinal Symptom Score, as well as an improvement in range of motion and European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions score. Conclusions: Korean medical treatments appear to be effective in reducing functional dyspepsia. Further clinical research on patients with functional dyspepsia is needed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.769-777
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• 2017

Objective: Facial nerve palsy is caused by damage to the 7th cranial nerve. It is the main symptom of facial muscle paralysis on the affected side. Usually, recovery from this disease begins 2-3 weeks after onset and most patients recover in 4-8 weeks. If the patients cannot receive proper treatment, severe permanent impairments, both physical and mental, may remain, so this disease should be treated appropriately. In this study, a patient with facial nerve palsy was admitted to the Korean medicine hospital for treatment. We report on the patient's progress and the effects of treatment. Methods: We cured the patient with herbal medicines, acupuncture, herbal acupuncture therapy, and physical therapy. We used a numerical rating scale, the House Brackmann grading system, and a weighted regional grading system to assess symptom changes. Result: The patient with facial nerve palsy was hospitalized for 23 days and recovered from symptoms without significant problems on the face or in motor function.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.929-940
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• 2023

Objectives: This study reports on the efficacy of Korean medicine treatments for peripheral facial nerve palsy and sleep disorders that occur after microvascular decompression. Methods: A 57-year-old female patient with right facial palsy was treated with herbal medicines and acupuncture for 36 days. The treatment effect was evaluated using the House Brackmann Grading System (HBGS), Yanagihara's Unweighed Grading System (Yanagihara's score), and the Korean Modified Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (KMLSEQ). Results: Following treatment, the patient showed a decrease in HBGS and an improvement in Yanagihara's score and KMLSEQ score. Conclusions: Korean medicine treatments appeared to be effective in reducing facial nerve palsy. Further clinical research on patients with facial nerve palsy is needed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.18-25
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to examine the effect of an integrated care service which included a combination of oriental and western care on health outcomes in elderly patients with degenerative arthritis. Methods: A prospective comparative design was used. Data were collected from May 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 from 85 elderly patients with degenerative arthritis in the lower extremities who were followed in a hospital out-patient department for 8 weeks. The integrated care service group (n=36) received a combination of physical therapy, acupuncture, western medicines or herbal medicines, and the western care group (n=49) received physical therapy or western medicines. Functional independence, walking speed, rotation balance, pain intensity, service satisfaction and total medical costs for the two groups were compared at 8 weeks. Results: Functional independence (t=2.14, p=.036) and walking speed (t=2.51, p=.014) improved significantly in the integrated care group while pain intensity improved significantly in the western care group (t=3.35, p=.002). The integrated care group reported higher scores for service satisfaction (t=2.09, p=.041) and higher medical costs than the western care group (t=2.15, p=.035). Conclusion: The results suggest that integrated care services are effective modalities to improve mobility and quality of life for elders with degenerative arthritis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.337-344
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• 2016

Objective: This study reports on the efficacy of using traditional Korean medical treatments (herbal medicine, Shinbaro pharmacopuncture, and acupuncture) for atypical facial pain.Method: The patient was treated with herbal medicines (Chungsanggyuntong-tang and Yanghyeolgeopung-tang), acupuncture, and Shinbaro pharmacopuncture. The study was measured via the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the EuroQol five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) to assess the treatments’ effectiveness.Results: After the treatments, the patient’s pain was controlled and the NRS score was decreased. The EQ-5D score also showed improvement.Conclusion: This case shows that traditional Korean medical treatments could be effective in easing the clinical symptoms of atypical facial pain.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.894-900
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of traditional Korean medicine as a treatment for a diabetic patient diagnosed with herniated intervertebral lumbar discs. Methods: We treated the patient with herbal medicines, acupuncture, herbal acupuncture therapy, and physical therapy. We measured the state and progress of this case with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). We also checked serum glucose levels (FBS/PP2hrs) regularly. Results: After treatment, the NRS score was decreased, the ODI score was improved, and the blood glucose level was stabilized. The overall symptoms of the patient showed positive improvement.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.61-74
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• 2019

Objectives This study aimed to review clinical studies about Korean medicine used in peroneal nerve palsy. Methods In 11 online databases (Earticle, Research Information Sharing Service, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, KMbase, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, National Digital Science Library, MEDLINE/Pubmed, Ebscohost, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure), we searched clinical studies about Korean medicine. Among the studies that we've searched, we excluded the studies that are not related to Korean medicine, case reports, randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies. As a result, 16 case studies and 1 randomized controlled trial are included. Results Total number of patients was 123. In these studies, acupuncture (100%), herbal medicine (58.8%), pharmacopuncture (58.8%), Korean physical therapy (58.8%), moxibustion (41.1%), cupping (41.1%) etc. were used. In acupuncture, GB34 and ST36 were most frequently used. Most of the herbal medicines used in these studies were different. Range of movement were most frequently used in outcome measure. Conclusions In this study, we reviewed studies about Korean medicine used in peroneal nerve palsy. It was difficult to clearly determine which intervention has improved the symptom. In the future, Further clinical studies will be needed to retain the evidence for the treatment of peroneal nerve palsy. And also more randomized controlled clinical trials to prove the efficacy of Korean medicine will be needed.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.177-186
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• 2014

Objectives : The aim of this study is to report a case of a 51-year-old patient with Herpes zoster, whose symptoms were relieved within five weeks after the East-west medical combined treatment. Methods : A Herpes zoster patient with extreme pain around the right lower ribs and lower back was admitted into the Korean medicine hospital. Bee venom acupuncture was applied directly onto the site of pain and electroacupuncture was applied on $GV_6-BL_{20}$, inferior site of spinous process of the 12th thoracic vertebra-$BL_{21}$, $GV_5-BL_{22}$, $GV_4-BL_{23}$ six times a week. Moxibustion was applied on $BL_{49}$, $BL_{50}$, $BL_{51}$, $BL_{52}$, $GB_{25}$, $LR_{13}$ six times a week, and the patient took daily doses of herbal medicine and western medicines such as anticonvulsants, analgesics, antiepileptics. The patient's symptoms were evaluated with numeric rating scale(NRS) and neuropathic pain scale(NPS). Results : The results were as follows: 1. After the East-west medical combined treatment, the NRS grade decreased from 8 to 1. 2. On the neuropathic pain scale, the patient's symptoms changed from deep sharp pain and burning sensation to superficial dull pain and coldness. Sensitivity to touch, discomfort, and itchiness also decreased. Sudden attacks of pain appeared 14 to 21 days after onset, but disappeared after final treatment. Conclusions : The results of the above patient suggests that the East-west medical combined treatment may be effective for total remission of herpes zoster. Further research is needed to confirm such effects.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.40-48
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate safety of postpartum herbal medicine by assessing the effect of taking herbal medicine of postpartum period on liver function. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 167 mothers who underwent liver function tests (LFT) within 3 months before and after childbirth among mothers who gave birth at ○○ Hospital between January 1, 2016 and May 31, 2018. Mothers with abnormally elevated LFT during pregnancy were excluded. Among 167 women, 6 women are herbal-medicine-group took herbal medicine for 5-6 weeks during postpartum period, and 161 patients are general -group who did not take herbal medicine. LFT Variation of Subjects before and after childbirth were compared between the two groups. And subjects who had elevated liver levels above the normal range after delivery were classified separately, the characteristics and causes of changes in liver levels were analyzed, and the presence or absence of drug-induced liver damage was confirmed. Results: Among a total of 167 subjects, there were 5 women in the herbal-medicine-group and 150 women in the general-group who had changes in liver values within the normal range after childbirth. Aspartate transaminase (AST) change before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 3.40±1.82, and AST change in the general-group was 2.92±8.59, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.901). Increase of Alanine transaminase (ALT) before and after childbirth in the herbal-medicine-group was 5.60±3.65, and ALT change in the general-group was 8.01±11.81, showing no significant difference between the two groups (p=0.651). There were 12 subjects who had elevated AST, ALT above the normal range after delivery, including 1 in the herbal-medicine-group and 11 in the normal mothers group. Valuation of 1 Subject of the herbal-medicine-group before and after delivery was 17 IU/L of AST and 52 IU/L of ALT. Because results of AST, ALT is under the standard to diagnose to liver damage, she was observed without any treatment. However the cause of AST, ALT elevation was not found in the chart, she was receiving treatment for diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The general-group had an average increase of AST 35.64±22.67 IU/L and ALT 53.00±26.80 IU/L. As a result of analyzing the cause, there were direct causes such as autoimmune hepatitis, chronic hepatitis B, and acute pyelonephritis. Abnormal elevations in liver levels were also found in mothers with hypothyroidism, diabetes, and fever of unknown cause, although they were not direct causes. Conclusions: To investigate the safety of taking herbal medicines, we assess the variation in AST and ALT within 3 months before and after delivery in the herbal-medicine-group and general-group. There was no significant difference between two groups.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.43-50
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• 2019

The medical book Yosandangsinjipeuibangkeumnangjibo (『樂山堂新集醫方錦囊至寶』, below as Yosandang, 『樂山堂』) is housed in the Handok museum of Medicine and Pharmacy. At the end of the Yosandang, written in manuscript, contains a rhymes of herbal medicine (藥性歌). The rhymes of herbal medicine is a record of song form about herbal medicine. Song-forms were widely used because they were easy to sing and memorize. In particular, there are many records of song forms in Korean medical books, which have been used in various fields such as herbal medicines, acupuncture points, and diagnosis. Although Yosandang is not a widely known medical book, it is meaningful in that it shows a cross section of late Joseon Korean medicine. So, this paper considers rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang. Yosandang is a medical book of the late Joseon period written by doctor Byun Gwangwon in 1806. This book consists of 6 books and 14 volumes, 13 of which are rhymes of herbal medicine. The rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang is 7 words-2 phrases form for the first time in Korea. This is almost 80 years earlier than the same form of Bangyakhabpyeon (『方藥合編』). The first part of rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang is considered to refer to the rhymes of herbal medicine in Jejungsinpyeon (『濟衆新編』), and the last part seems to be based on the contents of Donguibogam (『東醫寶鑑』). In other words, rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang could be considered as the result of trying to contain herbal medicine knowledge as a new 7 words-2 phrases form based on the Jejungsinpyeon (『濟衆新編』) and Donguibogam (『東醫寶鑑』). Unlike the previous rhymes of herbal medicine made during the compilation of medical books led by the late Joseon government, the rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang is a new type of rhymes created based on individual efforts in the early 19th century. It has a medicine historical significance in that it can show some aspects of Korean medicine in the late Joseon period.