• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.92-99
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• 2002

Objectives : To investigate the role of Meridian flow on acupuncture effect, we observed the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) after Meridian blocking with pressure in arthritic rats. Methods : To make reliable and local monoarthritis, $40{\;}{\mu}l$ complete Freund's adjuvant was injected into the tibio-tarsal joint. EA was applied on acupoint GB30 while 5 Pascal pressure was added to the middle of the Gall bladder Meridian around GB31 between acupoint GB30 and arthritic foci (ipsilateral meridian blocking: IB) or opposite part of IB (contralateral part blocking: CB). To observe the change of arthritis, extension and flexion pain scores and circumferential differences were evaluated once a week. Results : EA stimulation without blocking reduced arthritic pain significantly. IB abolished the acupuncture effects and there was no statistical difference with the arthritic control group, whereas the CB group still showed the therapeutic effects of acupuncture. Conclusions : This finding strongly supports that the Meridian blocking with local pressure reduced the therapeutic effect of EA.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.53-68
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was conducted to investigate status of electroacupuncture(EA) stimulation and adverse effects as a basic information of EA clinical treatment. Methods : The survey was carried twice by e-mail and online service against the traditional Korean medicine doctors registered in the Association of Korea Oriental Medicine. Results : Seventy-eight percent of 284 responders used the EA. The EA was the most widely used for the stimulation of the meridian-muscle on musculo-skeletal pain. In terms of methodological procedure, doctors mainly apply acupuncture with the needle of 2 or 3 pairs of 0.25mm diameter to the depth of 10-50mm for 15 minutes. Respondents used mainly at the frequency of 10Hz and the automatic setting at the intensity of around 3-4 grade. The adverse effects were investigated less then 3% in the 45.9% respondents and non in the 40.5%. The most priority content for better EA treatment was "development of the effective stimulation program". Conclusion : In the result of survey, the frequency of practical use of EA was very high but the applied disease was concentrated in the pain. Hereafter, if the clinical study for safety and effectiveness is secured and more convenient EA tool is developed, the clinical application of the EA is likely to be more expanded.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.17-28
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• 1998

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of different stimulation-duration of high frequency electroacupuncturet(EA) treatment on the neuronal activities in the spinal cord and brainstem using Fos immunohistochemical technique. Three different stimulus-duration was used in this experiment : 30minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours. The summerized results were summerized as follow : 1. The number of Fos expression was significantly increased in the spinal cord dorsal horn depending upon the increase of stimulus-duration (P<0.05). Otherwise, there was no significant difference between 30 minutes EA treated group and anesthetic control. 2. High frequency EA biphasic stimulation significantly enhanced the Fos expression in the DR, middle and rostral portion of PAG LD, and caudal PAG LV after 1 hour and 2 hours treatment. The number of Fos immunoreactive neuron in the brainstem was increased accorcting to the length of stimulus-duration. Those results indicate that at least 1 hour EA treatment was necessary to increase the neuronal activities in the spinal cord and brainstem. Those basic data from this study can be applied to establish the effective treatment of EA for pain control in the clinical field.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.117-130
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• 2003

To study the analgesic and effect and its mechanism of eletroacupunture(EA) on the chronic inflammatory pain 50 rats were induced with arthralgesia by injecting complete freund's adjuvant(CFA). Two weeks after the injection of CFA, EA stimulation(2Hz, 0.07mA, 0.3ms) was delivered to Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) for 20 minutes. Analgesic effect was evaluated by using the tail flick latency(TFL) and the analgesic mechanism was observed by applying TFL with the pretreatment with naloxone and yohimbine. The results were as follows ; 1. TFL level for the model of adjuvant-induced arthritis decreased as time went by and it induced the hyperalgesia. 2. EA stimulation delivered to Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) for 20 minutes in the rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis brought analgesic effect and its effect had lasted for 40 minutes after the stimulation. 3. The analgesic effect of Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) EA in the rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis was blocked by pretreatment with naloxone(2mg/kg,i.p). This result suggests that the EA effect on the chronic inflammatory pain can be related to the endogenous opioid mechanism. 4. The analgesic effect of Jogsamni($ST_{36}$) EA in the rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis was blocked by pretreatment with naloxone(2mg/kg,i.p). This result suggests that the EA effect on the chronic inflammatory pain can be related to the ${\alpha}_2$-adrenergic mechanism.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.215-224
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• 2001

Objcetive : Neuropathic pain sometimes arises from a partial peripheral nerve injury. This kind of pain is usually accompanied by spontaneous burning pain, allodynia and hyperalgesia. It has been well known that acupuncture is effective to the pain control from ancient time in Asia. However, it is not clear whether acupuncture can control neuropathic pain. The aim of the present study is to examine if acupuncture stimulation may be effective to the mechanical allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Methods : To produce neuropathic pain, under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia, the right superior caudal trunk was resected between the S3 and S4 spinal nerves. After the neuropathic surgery, we examined if the animals exhibited the behavioral signs of mechanical allodynia. The mechanical allodynia was assessed by stimulating the tail with von Frey hair (bending force : 2.0g). three or 6 weeks after the neuropathic surgery, acupuncture stimulation was delivered to Houxi (SI 3) as the following parameters (2HZ frequency, 0.07mA intensity and 3msec duration) for 30 minutes. Results : The stimulation of Houxi (SI 3) acupoint relieved the behavioral signs of mechanical allodynia. Conclusion : Our results suggest that acupuncture can control the mechanical allodynia of neuropathic pain.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.567-577
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• 2000

In human body, catecholamines, such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, can be increased anxiety, blood pressure and pain etc. The inhibitory effects of TENS, electroacupuncture and massage on the release of epinephrine, norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve endings has already been known. However, the effects of silver spike point stimulation on the catecholamines was not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the SSP-induced inhibitory effects of catecholamines. The following results were obtained. (1) The studies on urinary catecholamines released that the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine of continue type SSP stimulation group were significantly lower than those in the control group in human in vivo. (2) The dose-response curves of epinephrine and norepinephrine in rat aortic smooth muscle strips were increased dose dependent manner respectively. However, the contractile response of norepinephrine in rat aortic smooth muscle strips were slightly differentiated. It is concluded that the SSP stimulation reflects to the inhibitory effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine in men. Especially, we believe that the amplitude-frequency modulation, such as continue type a)1d frequency modulation type, of SSP stimulation plays a role in regulating catecholamines.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.26-40
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• 2014

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of electroacupuncture on swallow function in stroke patients with dysphagia. The purpose was to determine whether electroacupuncture could improve swallow function and quality of life for patients with dysphagia caused by stroke. A pilot double-blind, randomized controlled trial design was used Methods: A total of 17 stroke patients with dysphagia were recruited to this study, 8 assigned to the swallowing electroacupuncture (SE) group and 9 to the control group. Swallowing electroacupuncture was assessed for 5 Hz electrical or sham stimulation for 20 min duration 3 times a week. Outcome measurements were DOSS, 14-item questionnaire from the SWAL-QOL, NIHSS and MBI. Assessment was carried out for baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks Results: In the 2 weeks follow up data, the study group showed significant difference in DOSS and SWAL-QOL compared with the baseline. The study group also showed significant difference in DOSS and SWAL-QOL compared with the control group. Similarly in the 4 weeks follow up data, the study group showed improvement tendency in DOSS and SWAL-QOL compared with baseline and also with the control. The NIHSS and MBI scores returned no significant differences. The swallowing electroacupuncture was well tolerated in all cases with no serious adverse effects. Conclusions: The findings from the pilot study indicated that electroacupuncture has significant effects on improvement in swallowing function and quality of life. With both inpatients and outpatients, further larger and longer-term follow-up study is needed to confirm this suggestion.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.100-112
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• 2011

Objectives : This study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture on memory, depression, and plasma stress hormone levels in rats that were under immobilization stress. Materials and Methods : The immobilization-only group was given two hours of immobilization stress for 10 consecutive days. The immobilization and high frequency EA group was given two hours of immobilization stress simultaneously with high frequency (100Hz) electroacupuncture stimulation on the right ST-36 (Zusanli) for 10 consecutive days. We conducted the inhibitory avoidance and forced swimming tests to recognize whether immobilization stress and electroacupuncture have effects on memory and depression. We collected blood samples from the tail of each rat at 30, 60, 90, and 120-minute intervals during the immobilization stress and EA stimulation to measure plasma concentrations of ACTH, corticosterone, melatonin, and norepinephrine induced by immobilization stress and electroacupuncture. Results : There was a significant effect of high frequency on the increase in anamnesis based on the result of the inhibitory avoidance test, but there was no significant effect of decreasing depression based on the result of the forced swim test. Also, there was no significant effect on the response indicated by stress hormones. Conclusions : 1. High frequency electroacupuncture (100Hz) improved anamnesis in immobilization stress states under the inhibitory avoidance task. 2. High frequency electroacupuncture (100Hz) did not reduce depression induced by immobilization stress under the forced swimming test. 3. High frequency electroacupuncture (100Hz) did not decrease stress hormones through blood sampling.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 1983

It is well known that the acupuncture has been used effectively for the relief of certain types of pain. Although the precise mechanism of action of acupuncture analgesia is unknown, it is generally accepted that their analgesic properties are related to the activation of endogenous opiate system in central nervous system. And it is suggested that pain-relieving properties of acupunture may be related to a stimulation of peripheral nerve underlying the acupuncture point on the skin. However, the efficacy of acupuncture has no relationship between the site of pain and the acupuncture point. Consequently, the present study was undertaken to investigate electroacupuncture analgesia in relation to the site of peripheral nerve stimulation. Cats were decerebrated ischemically and the flexion reflex as an index of pain was elicited by stimulating the sural nerve (20V, 0.5 msec duration) and recored as a compound action potential from the nerve innervated to the posterior biceps femoris muscle in the ipsilateral hindlimb. Bilateral common peroneal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve were selected as the site of peripheral nerve stimulation. For the stimulation of peripheral nerve, a stimulus of 20 V intensity, 2 msec-duration and 2 Hz-frequency was applied for 60 min respectively. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1) Both stimulation of contralateral common peronal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve did not change the flexion reflex and there were no significant differences between them. 2) Stimulation of ipsilateral common peroneal nerve markedly depress the flexion reflex, the effect being reversed by naloxone application. These results suggest that stimulation of ipsilateral common peroneal nerve has the analgesic effect but both stimulation of contralteral common peroneal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve to the pain site where flexion reflex was elicited have no analgesic effect.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2010

Objectives : We investigated the role of intracellular calcium chelator, bis-(2-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid(BAPTA), on the modulation of phosphorylation of the spinal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor(NMDAR) NR1 and NR2B subunits following electroacupuncture(EA). Methods : Bilateral 2 Hz EA stimulation with 1.0 mA was delivered at those acupoints corresponding to Zusanli(ST36) and Sanyinjiao(SP6) in man via needles for 30min. Results : EA analgesia was reduced by intra-peritoneal injection at a higher dose of BAPTA from termination of EA stimulation. At 60 min after EA treatment, the total number of c-fos-immunostained neurons in each regions of the dorsal horn in the $L_{4-5}$ segments was decreased by BAPTA injection, especially in nucleus proprius. The mean integrated optical density (IOD) of NR1 and NR2B subunits were increased only in superficial laminae of EA-treated rats when compared with normal rats. However, the mean IOD of pNR1 was significantly decreased by BAPTA injection in both the superficial laminae and neck region and pNR2B in the superficial laminae. Western blot analyses confirmed the decreased expression of pNR1 and pNR2B. Conclusions : We concluded that intracellular calcium may well play an important role in EA analgesia by modulating the phosphorylation state of spinal NMDAR subunits.