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Abstract : Between May 2014 and April 2022, a total of 926 articles were retrieved from the international database, and a total of 233 articles were retrieved from the Korean database. From there, 14 studies were selected, and evaluated by the published year, terminology of the acupotomy, sample size, disease type, retention time, treatment sites, insertion depth and size of the acupotomy, treatment frequency, and duration, type of acupotomy manipulation method, evaluation index, therapeutic effects, adverse effects, and assessment of the risk of bias in randomized controlled trials. This study examined the need for additional acupotomy studies to secure an objective basis for the application of clinical treatment. Furthermore, the detailed description of the study methods and results and unified terminology can provide evidence for the efficacy of acupotomy.

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Abstract : Herpes zoster (HZ) results from the reactivation of a varicella-zoster virus infection and is accompanied by moderate-to-severe pain in most patients. The most common treatment is medication; however, there are still limitations. Acupuncture reportedly has meaningful therapeutic effects and is a possible alternative option in HZ. However, no systematic reviews examining the use of acupuncture and electro-acupuncture (EA) alone have been published; in this study, we therefore aimed to systematically review those techniques. We searched for clinical trials of acupuncture and EA treatment for HZ up to October 2022. Trials that used acupuncture were included. Outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) and effective rate. Secondary outcomes were time to pain relief, time to pain elimination, incrustation, decrustation, lastly incidence of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). In total, 22 randomized controlled trials were included in this research. Compared with conventional medication therapy, acupuncture was associated with a significant improvement in VAS, effective rate, and times to pain relief and elimination. Times to new blister cessation, incrustation, and decrustation (days) were significantly improved. Furthermore, the incidence rate of PHN was lower in acupuncture groups. The results suggest that acupuncture could be a reasonable treatment option for patients with HZ who suffer from pain and accompanying symptoms.

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Abstract : Background: This study aimed to examine the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis extract (SBE) on ameliorating pain response and inflammation in an animal model.
Methods: The effects of SBE on joint inflammation-induced rats and pain writhing response were measured. In rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee osteoarthritis (OA), the weight-bearing distribution of the hind legs was measured, the actual joint condition was visually confirmed, and serum cytokines were extracted from whole blood and measured. In addition, the acetic acid-induced pain was measured by the number of abdominal wall contractions and writhing responses.
Results: 1. The weight-bearing distribution of the hind limbs of the SBE group was remarkably improved compared with that of the control group 7 days after MIA treatment, and the SBE 300 group was improved similarly to that of the indomethacin group. 2. Cartilage erosion was significantly recovered in the SBE and indomethacin groups, and the degree of healing of cartilage erosion by SBE was similar to that by indomethacin. 3. The serum levels of cytokines interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 were significantly decreased in the SBE group compared with that in the control group, and the SBE 300 group had reduced levels of cytokines similar to the indomethacin group. 4. As regards acetic acid-induced writhing response, the number of writhes was significantly reduced in the SBE and ibuprofen groups, and the SBE 600 group had fewer writhes than the ibuprofen group.
Conclusion: SBE significantly improves knee OA and pain and is expected to show similar therapeutic effects to indomethacin and ibuprofen.

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Abstract : Background: Previous studies have investigated technology-aided needling training systems for acupuncture on phantom models using various measurement techniques. In this study, we developed and validated a vision-based needling training system (noncontact measurement) and compared its training effectiveness with that of the traditional training method.
Methods: Needle displacements during manipulation were analyzed using OpenCV to derive three parameters, i.e., needle insertion speed, needle insertion angle (needle tip direction), and needle insertion length. The system was validated in a laboratory setting and a needling training course. The performances of the novices (students) before and after training were compared with the experts. The technology- aided training method was also compared with the traditional training method.
Results: Before the training, a significant difference in needle insertion speed was found between experts and novices. After the training, the novices approached the speed of the experts. Both training methods could improve the insertion speed of the novices after 10 training sessions. However, the technology-aided training group already showed improvement after five training sessions. Students and teachers showed positive attitudes toward the system.
Conclusion: The results suggest that the technology-aided method using computer vision has similar training effectiveness to the traditional one and can potentially be used to speed up needling training.

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Abstract : Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of Oenanthe javanica (OJ) extracts on rats with potassium oxonate (PO)-induced hyperuricemia.
Methods: The effects of OJ extract on rats with PO-induced hyperuricemia-induced were monitored. Changes in the body weight and organ indices of hyperuricemic rats were calculated to detect anti-hyperuricemic effects. Blood samples were collected to observe the effect of reducing serum uric acid concentration. Kidney tissues were stained to observe histopathological changes under a microscope. The activity of xanthine oxidase (XO), which catalyzes xanthine to uric acid in the liver, was assessed to observe the inhibitory effect of XO.
Results: 1. The body weight of hyperuricemic rats showed no considerable differences between the control group and the treatment group. The OJ group had significantly improved liver index, whereas the allopurinol group had improved liver and kidney indices. 2. Serum uric acid levels increased significantly after PO injection, and the OJ and allopurinol groups showed a significant reduction effect. 3. PO injection led to the inflammation of kidney tissues, and OJ improved it significantly. 4. The activity of XO after PO injection was significantly increased, and allopurinol significantly inhibited XO activity in the liver.
Conclusion: In the hyperuricemia rat model, OJ extract reduced uric acid concentration and demonstrated its anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, OJ extracts can be used to lower uric acid levels.

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Abstract : Very few studies have been reported on upper extremity replantation following traumatic amputation. This case study aimed to report the progress of a patient treated with complex Korean medicine for 1 year after elbow replantation. The patient mainly complained of forearm sensory loss, muscle weakness, and hand pain after undergoing upper limb amputation and emergency replantation. He was hospitalized for approximately 50 days and then received outpatient treatment for approximately 10 months, followed by electroacupuncture, moxibustion, Chuna, herbal medicine, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The muscle strength of the wrist joint improved to good (flexion) and fair (extension), and the forearm sensation was partially recovered approximately 10 months after the onset. To our knowledge, this is the first case report on replantation rehabilitation in Korean medicine, and it suggests that complex Korean medicine treatment might be beneficial for patients undergoing replantation after upper extremity amputation.

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Abstract : This study individually analyzed the effects of Korean Facial Chuna Manual Treatment (K-FCMT) combined with Korean medicine (KM) treatment (acupuncture, electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine) on five patients with acute Bell’s palsy who visited Dongsuwon Korean Medicine Hospital between August 1 and 31, 2022. During inpatient treatment, two of the five patients received K-FCMT 5–6 times a week, and the other three received the same frequency during outpatient treatment for approximately 2 weeks. Patients with a House–Brackmann grading scale (HBGS) score of ≤4 and Yanagihara unweighted grading system (Y-score) ≥7–8 began to recover after the 2nd–3rd sessions of K-FCMT, which entered the recovery phase quickly. As patients entered the recovery phase (7–9th sessions of K-FCMT), symptoms improved to HBGS scores of 1–2 and Y-scores of 35–40 points. This study suggests the possibility of applying K-FCMT combined with KM treatment to patients in the acute stage of Bell’s palsy.

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Abstract : This paper presents the clinical outcome of an 82-year-old female who experienced sudden back pain combined with lower limb paresthesia and weakness after epidural steroid injection. The magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracolumbar spine showed a spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) extending from T8 to L4. She was treated non-operatively in the traditional Korean medicine (TKM) hospital. The patient’s progress was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), American Spinal Injury Association (ASIS), Spinal Cord Independence Measure version III (SCIM III), and self-reported symptoms. During the 22-day hospitalization period, the NRS score decreased from 7 to 2 points, the motor score on the ASIS scale increased from 65 to 95 points. The subjective sense of lower extremities was felt by 1 increased to 8. The SCIM III score increased from 32 to 69 points. These results suggest that TKM could effectively reduce pain and aid the rehabilitation of patients with SEH.

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Abstract : The discoid meniscus is an innate modified form of the meniscus, characterized by middle hypertrophy and a larger than the regular diameter, leading to an absence of the characteristic “C” arrangement. Previously, no study has reported the traditional Korean medicine treatment of knee pain mainly due to discoid meniscus. Here, we report two cases of a discoid meniscus of the knee as the cause of knee pain. Patients were diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging for discoid meniscus and received traditional Korean medicine treatments, including pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and chuna. The pain was alleviated when assessed by patient-reported pain scale scores, and the general knee condition was improved. Thus, traditional Korean medicine treatments could be effective for patients who had discoid meniscus of the knee joint in this case report.