Morphological and Chemical Analysis of Various Disposable Acupuncture Needles Used in South Korea.

Objectives: The Korean Industrial Standard (KS) for sterile acupuncture needles was established in 2009 based on research on the quality control of acupuncture needles. We aimed to determine the quality of acupuncture needles available in South Korea in 2021 by examining their surface condition and chemical composition using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).

Methods: In South Korea, there are 23 brands of acupuncture needles, and we examined 10-15 needles from each brand, resulting in a total of 285 needles.

Experimental Rat Model of Bony Defects in the Facet Joint Maintained with Bone Wax for the Study of Spinal Pain.

Purpose: Studies using experimental rat models for low back pain due to facet-joint defects are scarce. This study used a novel experimental rat model to determine whether bony defects induced by facetectomy could be maintained by bone wax, thus mimicking spondylolysis, and to analyze the effect of the facetectomy on rat behavior.

Patients And Methods: Twelve 10-week-old male Wistar rats weighing 300-350 g were divided into group A (n = 6) that underwent unilateral facetectomy of the right L5-6 facet joint and group B (n = 6) that additionally applied water-soluble bone wax at the facetectomy site.

Effects of Gambisan in overweight adults and adults with obesity: A retrospective chart review.

Objective: A retrospective chart review was conducted to explore the effect of Gambisan, a granular extract of novel herbal medicine, for short-term (≤16 weeks) weight loss in adults who are overweight and those with obesity.

Methods: Outpatients of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital (Seoul, Korea) who took Gambisan and underwent bioelectric impedance analysis were selected (Jan 2011 to Dec 2015); their electronic medical records and clinical charts were retrospectively reviewed. The effectiveness of Gambisan was primarily evaluated by comparing body weight (BW) at baseline and endpoint, using paired t tests; the safety of Gambisan was evaluated on the basis of adverse events (AEs) experienced by patients.

Acupuncture for treating whiplash-associated disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

Background: This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for patients with whiplash-associated disorder (WAD).

Methods: We will search the following databases from their inception to October 2018: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, 1 Chinese database (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), 1 Japanese database (Japan Science and Technology Information Aggregator, Electronic), and 5 Korean databases (KoreaMed, Research Information Service System, Korean Studies Information Service System, Database Periodical Information Academic, and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System). All randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for WAD will be considered for inclusion without language restrictions.

Epiduroscopic laser neural decompression as a treatment for migrated lumbar disc herniation: Case series.

Objective: Epiduroscopic laser neural decompression (ELND) is one of the more invasive techniques for managing patients with herniated lumbar disc. However, ELND can be used to treat, and diagnose the epidural pathology; indications for ELND remain controversial, especially, when applied in cases of large disc extrusion and migrated disc. This paper reports cases of patients that were satisfied with the ELND procedure for migrated lumbar disc herniation.

Pulsed Radiofrequency to the Dorsal Root Ganglion in Acute Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia.

Background: Latent varicella zoster virus reactivates mainly in sensory ganglia such as the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) or trigeminal ganglion. The DRG contains many receptor channels and is an important region for pain signal transduction. Sustained abnormal electrical activity to the spinal cord via the DRG in acute herpes zoster can result in neuropathic conditions such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Continuous Thoracic Sympathetic Ganglion Block in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Patients with Spinal Cord Stimulation Implantation.

The sympathetic block is widely used for treating neuropathic pain such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). However, single sympathetic block often provides only short-term effect. Moreover, frequent procedures for sympathetic block may increase the risk of complications.

Facetoplasty Using Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation for Facet Joint Hypertrophy.

Unlabelled: Lumbar spinal stenosis is one of most common pathologic conditions affecting the lumbar spine. Pain and/or disability in the low back and lower extremities with or without neurogenic claudication may occur as a result of compression of dural sac contents or nerve roots in the narrowed space. Bulging and protrusion, facet joint hypertrophy, and disc herniation combined with osteophytes and arthritic changes of facet joints can be the cause of lumbar spinal stenosis.

Comparison of the Ventral Epidural Spreading in Modified Interlaminar Approach and Transforaminal Approach: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a modified interlaminar (MIL) approach for accessing ventral epidural space compared with the transforaminal (TF) approach.

Study Design: Randomized double blinded control trial

Methods: Eighty-four patients with lumbar radicular pain were randomly assigned into two groups in which drug delivery to the ventral epidural space was performed through either the MIL (n = 42) or the TF approach (n = 42). Within each group, subgroups were classified according to the dominant pathology as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): bulging disc, herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP), and foraminal stenosis.

The Extent of Tissue Damage in the Epidural Space by Ho / YAG Laser During Epiduroscopic Laser Neural Decompression.

Background: Lasers have recently become very useful for epiduroscopy. As the use of lasers increases, the potential for unwanted complications with direct application of laser energy to nerve tissue has also increased. Even using the lowest laser power to test for nerve stimulation, there are still risks of laser ablation.

Exogenously applied muscle metabolites synergistically evoke sensations of muscle fatigue and pain in human subjects.

What is the central question of this study? Can physiological concentrations of metabolite combinations evoke sensations of fatigue and pain when injected into skeletal muscle? If so, what sensations are evoked? What is the main finding and its importance? Low concentrations of protons, lactate and ATP evoked sensations related to fatigue. Higher concentrations of these metabolites evoked pain. Single metabolites evoked no sensations.

Development of Korean Academy of Medical Sciences guideline-rating the impairment in pain.

Pain-related impairment assessment by the fifth edition of the American Medical Association Guides had many ambiguous points, and therefore, it was not applicable directly in Korea. Several disputable pain disorders were excluded from the list of impairment evaluation, and complex regional pain syndrome was chosen as the first object of impairment evaluation. Scales such as Korean version of modified Barthel index for assessing the activity of daily livings and Beck Depression Inventory for assessing depression were added, and pain severity, pain treatment, pain behavior, etc.