• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.222-234
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• 2021

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of fire needling and warm needling for De Quervain Syndrome by reviewing clinical studies for recent 10 years. Methods : Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, and case series containing more than 20 cases about fire needling and warm needling for De Quervain Syndrome published since 2011 were searched through four foreign online databases (CNKI, Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library) and five Korean online databases (OASIS, Science ON, DBPIA, KISS, RISS). The number and characteristics of participants, treatment points and main treatment methods involving other combination treatments, treatment cycle or total periods of treatments, evaluation indices, efficacy, and adverse events were analyzed. Risk of bias of included randomized clinical trials was assessed using a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trials (RoB 2). Results : A total of 6 randomized clinical trials and 2 case series involving 471 participants were included. Tender point or 'Ashi point' was the most commonly used treatment point, followed by LU4. Treatment frequency ranged from once a day to once a week. One to three outcome measures were used to evaluate the results of the studies, with the efficacy rate the most frequently used, followed by visual analogue scale. Overall risk of bias of all included randomized clinical trials was judged to have some concerns. Conclusions : All selected studies showed that fire needling and warm needling treatments for De Quervain syndrome were more effective than other clinical methods or acupuncture treatments. However, as the number of clinical studies is still too small and the risk of bias of the studies is not low, it is believed that more systematic and objective studies should be conducted.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.209-221
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• 2021

Objectives : The aim of this study was to compare and analyze studies related to fire acupuncture (FA) published in South and North Korea. Methods : FA studies published in South Korea were searched through domestic and overseas databases (KISS, RISS, OASIS, and EMBASE). For North Korean studies, databases from the Information Center on North Korea and Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information were used. Among the searched literatures, clinical studies using FA as a treatment intervention were selected (i.e., randomized controlled trials, and case reports). Finally, information such as the disease for which FA was used, the characteristics of FA, and details of treatment methods for FA were extracted from the screened literatures and the results of South and North Korean studies were compared and analyzed. Results : This review included 28 South Korean studies and 9 North Korean studies. All studies in South Korea, except for the three articles that used traditional FA treatment, applied "warm needling"-like acupuncture (WA) in the form of heating the handle of the needle after inserting the needle into the skin, and most studies were conducted on diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Whereas in the North Korean studies, FA was applied to various diseases such as trigeminal neuralgia, skin diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases, and standardized FA tools were used. Conclusions : Studies on traditional FA treatment have rarely been reported in South Korea. The amount of information described in the FA studies in North Korea was limited. In this review, the characteristics of FA treatment tools in South and North Korean studies were mainly analyzed. In the future, FA studies from more diverse perspectives are needed.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.157-180
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• 2022

Objectives: To perform a systematic review of placenta pharmacopuncture for treating neuropsychiatric diseases, focusing on its efficacy and the safety so that evidence on its clinical use could be obtained, thus contributing to further studies. Methods: Through Korean, English, and Chinese databases (OASIS, Korean TK, KISS, RISS, ScienceON, Pubmed, Cochrane, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, CNKI, and Wanfang), combinations of keywords (placenta, pharmacopuncture, etc.) were used to select clinical studies published until January 2021 about placenta pharmacopuncture for neuropsychiatric diseases. Interventions included combined treatments. Study design included cases studies, series, and clinical trials. Cohort studies, literature reviews, in vitro and animal experiments were excluded. The primary outcomes involved measurements of symptoms, Visual Analogue Scale, or questionnaires. Data extracted from databases were imported to Endnote X7 to remove duplicates. The quality of the literature was assessed based on CAse REports Guidelines and Cochrane's Risk of Bias (ROB). Results: Twenty-one studies were selected, including ten case reports, three case series, two one-armed clinical trials, one non-randomized clinical trial, and five randomized clinical trials. There were six studies on sleep disorders, five studies on stroke sequela, two on mood disorders, two on enuresis, two on Guillain-Barré syndrome, two on multiple sclerosis, one on neurocognitive disorder, and one on vertigo. The most frequent combined treatment was acupuncture in both the experimental group (n=10) and the control group (n=3). Acupoints were ST36, SP6, BL23, CV4, GB20, GV20, N-HN54, and so on. All studies reported improvement of symptoms. The quality of case studies was relatively high. Assessment of ROBs resulted in low risks. Conclusions: Placenta pharmacopuncture is effective for neuropsychiatric diseases such as sleep disorders, mood disorders, enuresis, and neurocognitive disorders. Regarding insomnia, several studies have reported significant improvements with placenta pharmacopuncture. There was no adverse event associated with placenta pharmacopuncture.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.122-136
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• 2022

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate Heart Rate Variability (HRV) characteristics of patients with primary dysmenorrhea at the menstrual phase. Methods: 7 databases (Pubmed, Cochrane library, CNKI, RISS, KISS, OASIS, ScienceON) were searched for eligible studies published before 2021 December. The studies comparing HRV between patients with primary dysmenorrhea and controls were included. A random-effects model was used to evaluate differences of HRV parameters between patients with primary dysmenorrhea and controls. Results: 4 articles were included in this review based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. SDNN (Standard deviation of NN intervals), RMSSD (Square root of the mean squared difference of successive NN intervals), mean PR (Mean of pulse rate), LF (Low frequency), HF (High frequency), was the most frequently used as HRV parameters. RMSSD was significantly lower in patients with primary dysmenorrhea than controls. There was no statistically significant difference of other HRV parameters between patients with primary dysmenorrhea and controls. Conclusions: This study suggests that parasympathetic activity and overall functions of autonomic nervous system might be decreased in patients with primary dysmenorrhea at the menstrual phase. In the future, well-designed clinical studies using HRV and additional meta-analysis should be conducted to obtain a wealth of information about HRV characteristics of patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2022

Objectives This study was conducted to assess the effect of chuna manual therapy after hip arthroplasty. Methods We searched across 9 electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Wangfang data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System [OASIS], National Digital Science Library [NDSL], Korean Medical Database [KMBASE], Koreanstudies Information Service System [KISS], Research Information Sharing Service [RISS]) to find randomized controlled clinical trials for chuna manual therapy after hip arthroplasty. Results On inclusion criteria, 11 appropriate studies were included and analyzed. The deep vein thrombosis incidence of the chuna manual therapy group was statistically lower than the conventional treatment group (p=0.0002). Chuna manual therapy significantly improved the Harris hip score compared with conventional treatment (p<0.00001). Also, chuna manual therapy combined with herbal fumigation therapy significantly elevated the hip joint function score of Harris hip score compared with the conventional therapy group (p<0.00001). Conclusions The systematic review showed that chuna manual therapy had significant effects on hip arthroplasty. Nonetheless, considering the high risk of bias and geographic bias, further research with well-designed studies is required to support the effectiveness of chuna manual therapy.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.37-49
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• 2022

Objectives The purpose of this study is to present evidence by analyzing the research trends in acupuncture treatment in the last 10 years for thromboangiitis obliterans. Methods Randomized controlled trials about acupuncture on thromboangiitis obliterans were searched China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS), ScienceON, Koreanstudies Information Service System (KISS) and Research Information Sharing Service (RISS) from January 1, 2011 to November 13, 2021. Only randomized controlled trials were selected and we assessed the risk of bias (RoB) according to the revised Cochrane RoB2 criteria. Results A total of 5 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected in this review and all were conducted in China. A total of 326 participants were in 5 RCTs. SP10, ST36, GB34 was the most commonly used treatment point. There were four types of acupuncture used: manual acupuncture, embedding acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, electroacupuncture. The most commonly used indicator for evaluation was the total efficacy rate, and all five studies were significantly higher. Conclusions All selected studies showed the group treated with acupuncture treatments on thromboangiitis obliterans were statistically more effective than the control group. However, the number of studies is too small and the interpretation of the results is limited due to the inclusion of subjective evaluation. So more objective and systematic studies should be conducted continuously.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.37-54
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• 2022

Objectives This review investigates the effectiveness of electroacupuncture for impairment of motor and sensory functions after spinal cord injury. Methods The databases used for the search were PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), National Digital Science Library (NDSL), Koreanstudies Information Service System (KISS), Research Information Sharing Service (RISS), KMBASE, and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System (OASIS). The literature were searched using a total of 9 domestic and foreign databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using electroacupuncture as an intervention was selected. The selected studies are analyzed the risk of bias through Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and meta-analysis was perfomed using RevMan version 5.3 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark). Results A total of 14 RCT studies were selected through 9 domestic and foreign databases, and analyzed. As a result of meta-analysis, when electroacupuncture was performed together with rehabilitation treatment or western drug treatment, it was effective in the recovery of motor and sensory functions of spinal cord injury patients. Conclusions This review suggests that electroacupuncture can be applied as an effective treatment for the recovery of motor and sensory functions of spinal cord injuries. However, there are several limitations, including the small number and heterogeneity of the included studies, as well as their poor methodological quality. Therefore, further, higher-quality studies should be required.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.105-121
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• 2022

Objectives This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of electro-acupuncture for sciatica. Methods We searched 13 online databases (Kmbase, Research Information Sharing Service [RISS], National Digital Science Library [NDSL], Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System [OASIS], Koreanstudies, Koreantk, DBpia, PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], J-stage) to find randomized-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) that used electro-acupuncture for sciatica. Efficacy rate and visual analogue scale (VAS) were mainly analyzed as a main evaluation criteria. Results Among 583 articles that were searched, 24 RCTs were finally selected and 18 RCTs were statistically analyzed. Electro-acupuncture was more effective than acupuncture in terms of efficacy rate (p<0.00001) and VAS (p<0.00001). Also, Electro-acupuncture was more effective than western medication in terms of efficacy rate (p=0.0005). However, the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture was not identified compared to physical therapy (p=0.42). Electro-acupuncture significantly improved efficacy rate when combined with physical therapy than physical therapy alone (p<0.0001). In addition, electro-acupuncture plus Chuna manual therapy compared to Chuna manual therapy alone showed positive results for efficacy rate (p=0.05) and VAS (p<0.0001). Conclusions Based on results, the effectiveness of electro-acupuncture for sciatica was identified. However, this study has limitations because the RCTs included in this study were small in number and published in a particular region. Although this study could be a groundwork for well designed research for sciatica.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.567-581
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to summarize current clinical study trends and results regarding acupuncture treatments for hiccups. Methods: Studies published from 2012 to 2022 were searched on PubMed and domestic databases (OASIS, scienceON, RISS, KISS, KCI) using the keywords "hiccup^*", "singultus", "singultation", "hiccupping", "intractable hiccup^*", "acupuncture", "auricular acupuncture", "scalp acupuncture", "acupuncture point", "acupoint", "needle", "dry needle", "딸꾹질", and "침." The studies were analyzed according to the year, language, study design, characteristics of patients, and acupuncture intervention. Results: In total, 12 studies were selected: 8 case series, 2 case-control studies, and 2 case reports. Manual acupuncture was administered with more than 15 minutes of retention time, most frequently using ST36 and CV12. The acupuncture treatment was effective for hiccup symptoms in all studies, as assessed by clinical symptoms, such as duration time, number of episodes, and recurrence. Conclusions: Acupuncture treatment can be an effective and safe method for treating hiccups and can be used in clinical practice.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.96-113
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• 2021

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of herbal medicine that are used for endometrial hyperplasia. Methods: We searched on three databases [PubMed, China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), and Oriental medicine advanced searching integrated system (OASIS)] with keywords for Endometrial hyperplasia(English, Korean, and Chinese) and evaluated the risk of bias. Meta-analysis was performed on the selected studies. Results: 15 RCTs were finally selected. According to the analysis, Most of the participants were endometrial hyperplasia without atypia. And the combined therapeutic effects of hormonal medicine and herbal medicine were statistically significant (RR 1.21 [95% CI 1.15, 1.28], P<0.00001), The endometrial thickness tended to be thinner when treated combined therapy. And they also showed improvement on levels of pictorial blood assessment chart (PBAC) and hemoglobin. Also, the therapeutic effects of herbal medicine can be identified as similar to Western medicine, and no superior effects have been confirmed (RR 1.05 [95% CI 0.87, 1.28], P=0.60). Conclusion: The combination Western and herbal medicine was more effective than Western medicine alone treated for endometrial hyperplasia without atypia. Moreover there were also significant improvements in endometrial thickness, PBAC and hemoglobin levels.