Pharmacopuncture for lumbar herniated intervertebral disc: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Effectiveness and Safety of Pharmacopuncture on Inpatients with Tension Headache Caused by Traffic Accidents: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of pharmacopuncture for pain relief and functional improvement in patients with traffic accident (TA)-induced acute tension headaches. Methods: The study employed a parallel, single-centered, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial design. Eighty patients complaining of acute tension headaches were randomized into the integrative Korean medicine treatment (IKM treatment) group and the pharmacopuncture group on suboccipital muscles (suboccipital muscles pharmacopuncture + IKM treatment), with 40 participants assigned to each group. The patients in the pharmacopuncture group underwent pharmacopuncture as an add-on therapy, consisting of three sessions. Both groups were reassessed 2 months post-intervention. To assess the outcomes, the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for Headache, NRS for Neck Pain, Headache Disability Index, Headache Impact Test-6, EuroQol 5-Dimension, and Patient Global Impression of Change were used. Results: The improvement in the outcomes of the pharmacopuncture group was significantly greater than that of the comparison group on day 4 of hospitalization in terms of pain (difference in NRS of headache -2.59, 95% CI -3.06 to -2.12; NRS of Neck pain -1.05, 95% CI -1.50 to -0.59) and function (difference in HDI -24.78, 95% CI, -31.79 to -17.76; HIT-6 -6.13, 95% CI, -9.47 to -2.78). Additionally, in 2 months of follow-up, the recovery rate of headache was significantly higher in the pharmacopuncture group than in the comparison group. Conclusions: The pharmacopuncture group demonstrated superior outcomes in symptom improvement than the comparison group did, providing insights into novel and useful applications of pharmacopuncture in the clinical practice of Korean medicine.

Traditional Chinese medicine for foot pain in a patient with complex regional pain syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUND

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is characterized by pain as well as sensory, motor, and sudomotor disorders. Generally, it is classified into two types CRPS-I and CRPS-II. There is no single diagnostic test or treatment approach for CRPS, and a multidisciplinary approach is gaining attention to improve patients' symptoms and their quality of life.

CASE SUMMARY

A 35-year-old woman with an unremarkable medical history sought treatment for CRPS at a hospital of Korean medicine. During her first visit, she was wheelchair-bound due to severe pain in her left lower extremity. She had edema and discoloration of the left foot. She was treated with a combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) approaches, including acupuncture, moxibustion, pharmacopuncture, and herbal decoction, for approximately 20 sessions. The foot and ankle outcome score (FAOS) and visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain were evaluated, along with general signs and functions. Her symptoms, signs, FAOS, and VAS scores improved after treatment, with a significant 7-degree decrease in the VAS score and a 62-point increase in the FAOS score. Additionally, the foot swelling and discoloration gradually resolved. During the phone follow-up, 5 mo after the last visit, additional improvements in outcomes were observed.

CONCLUSION

Combined TCM treatment may be a reasonable and safe option for alleviating symptoms and improving function in patients with CRPS.

Research Trends of Pharmacopuncture: a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer (2007-2023)

Objectives

Pharmacopuncture is considered a unique new type of acupuncture in Korean medicine (KM). This study was performed to investigate the research trends regarding pharmacopuncture through a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer.

Methods

The Web of Science Core Collection was searched for this study. The search terms were pharmacopuncture and pharmaco-puncture. The search was conducted on May 23, 2023, and 185 studies retrieved up to this date were included. Software VOSviewer version 1.6.19 was used to perform the bibliometric analysis. After data clearing, keyword co-occurrence and cooperation pattern analyses were performed.

Results

The number of studies on pharmacopuncture have gradually increased since the mid-2000s, with the most published in 2020 (46 studies). The quality of the studies has also steadily increased, and recently, several randomized controlled trials of pharmacopuncture have been conducted. Moreover, this treatment has been investigated in the context of KM clinical practice guideline development in Korea. The scope of pharmacopuncture studies to date seems to be limited to musculoskeletal pain and bee venom pharmacopuncture. The researchers from Jaseng Medical Foundation have been the core researchers in the field of pharmacopuncture in Korea. They collaborated with researchers from universities or government-funded research institutes. However, small-scale research teams from KM clinics and university researchers were also identified as independent clusters.

Conclusion

Pharmacopuncture research has grown both quantitatively and qualitatively, but the scope needs to be further expanded. There is also a gap between the use of pharmacopuncture by KM doctors in clinical settings and pharmacopuncture research. Based on these findings, some suggestions for future studies in this field are discussed. Furthermore, these findings may be used as data to expand and globalize pharmacopuncture research in the future.

Effect of Combined Bee Venom Acupuncture and NSAID Treatment for Non-Specific Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized, Assessor-Blinded, Pilot Clinical Trial

This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a combined treatment of bee venom acupuncture (BVA) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the treatment of non-specific chronic neck pain (NCNP). Patients with NCNP for ≥3 months were randomly allocated to a BVA, NSAIDs, or combined group (1:1:1), receiving 6 sessions of BVA, loxoprofen (180 mg daily), or a combination, respectively, for 3 weeks. Recruitment, adherence, and completion rates were calculated to assess feasibility. Bothersomeness, pain, disability, quality of life, depressive status, treatment credibility, and adverse events were assessed. In total, 60 participants were enrolled, and 54 completed the trial. Recruitment, adherence, and completion rates were 100%, 95%, and 90%, respectively. Bothersomeness, pain, disability, and depressive symptoms significantly improved in all groups after treatment (p < 0.05). The combined group showed continuous improvement during the follow-up period (p < 0.05). Quality of life was significantly improved (p < 0.05), and treatment credibility was maintained in the BVA and combined groups. No serious adverse events were reported. Combined treatment of BVA and NSAIDs are feasible for the treatment of NCNP, showing high persistence of the effect, credibility, and safety. Additional trials with longer follow-up are needed to confirm this effect.