Objectives : To find out the trend of overseas clinical research on acupuncture, one of the effective treatments for degenerative knee arthritis. Methods : A total of 247 papers were selected as the target papers by conducting a search on clinical studies related to acupuncture treatment for degenerative knee arthritis published from January 1, 2018 to April 1, 2023. The selected papers are classified by year, journal, country, study type, subject, treatment period, number of participants, and evaluation tool to identify the research trend. Results : Papers tended to be published more in the 2020s, and the journal with the most papers was the Clinical Journal of China Medicine. There were 233 papers studied in China, and most of them were RCT papers. The most common research topic was combination therapy, and among the single treatments, warm acupuncture. The three frequent acupuncture points were Dokbi(ST35), Yangneungcheon(GB34), and Naeseulan(EX-LE4), and the treatment period used as multiple frequency was 4 weeks, the number of participants was 71-80 people, and evaluation tools were VAS and WOMAC. Conclusions : With the global aging population, studies on acupuncture treatment for degenerative knee arthritis, one of the representative senile diseases, tended to increase. Research tended to study combination therapy rather than single therapy, and warm acupuncture was receiving high attention as a single treatment. Through this study, we hope that it will be helpful in expanding research on various acupuncture treatments for domestic patients in the future and treating degenerative knee arthritis in the clinical field.

Objectives : This study aims to catalogue the contraindicated acupuncture points for moxibustion in Donguibogam and to identify the implications for the accuracy of the citation. Methods : We identified and compiled contraindicated acupoints for moxibustion and their citations in Donguibogam, then verified the accuracy of the citations by comparing them with the original literature. In cases where the citation was not exact, the correct reference was inferred through comparison with other acupuncture literature. Results : There are two sections on contraindicated acupoints for moxibustion in Donguibogam: the section on the 14 meridians and their acupoints, and the section on Geumguhyeol. In the section on the 14 meridians and their acupoints, there are 53 contraindicated acupoints for moxibustion, most of which are cited from Donginsuhyeolchimgudogyeong. However, the sources of 15 acupoints were incorrectly cited, and all of them were actually listed as contraindicated acupoints in Gyeonghyeolgisang in Uihakipmun. In the section on Geumguhyeol, 51 contraindicated acupoints for moxibustion are listed in Geumguhyeol in Uihakipmun, while the remaining 6 are documented in Chimgugeumgi of Chimgugapeulgyeong. Conclusions : The contraindicated acupoints for moxibustion in Donguibogam are presumed to be based on the contents of Donginsuhyeolchimgudogyeong, Uihakipmun, and Chimgugapeulgyeong.

Objectives : To evaluate abdominal-peripheral acupoint temperature differences measured by infrared thermography (IRT) as objective biomarkers for Cold-Heat pattern identification. Methods : In this cross-sectional study, 1,045 adults (280 men, 765 women; mean age 42.7±10.5 years) examined at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital (2021~2024) completed the Cold-Heat Pattern Identification Questionnaire (CHPIQ) and underwent IRT. After 15~20 minutes of acclimation under standardized conditions (23~25℃; 30~75% relative humidity), skin temperatures at the abdominal acupoint (CV12) and peripheral acupoints (PC8 and ST42) were recorded. Regions of interest (ROIs) with a 5-pixel radius were automatically extracted using Mediapipe PoseLandmarker and OpenCV, and mean temperatures were computed. ΔT values were calculated as the temperature difference between CV12 and the peripheral acupoints. Group differences (Cold vs Heat) were analysed by independent-samples t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the predictive value of each temperature and ΔT variable, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis quantified discriminative performance (area under the curve, AUC) by sex. Results : In both sexes, peripheral temperatures at PC8 and ST42 were significantly higher in the Heat group (p＜0.001), while CV12 did not differ. ΔT was greater in the Cold group (men: 1.5±2.0 vs. 0.3±1.5℃; women: 1.9±2.0 vs. 0.9±1.7℃; p＜0.001). After adjustment for age and body-mass index, men's PC8 temperature showed strong Heat-pattern prediction (OR 1.262; p=0.001) with AUC 0.864, while ΔT(CV12-PC8) predicted Cold pattern (OR 0.702; p=0.001) with AUC 0.859. In women, PC8 temperature predicted Heat pattern (OR 1.202; p＜0.001; AUC 0.784), and ΔT (CV12-PC8) predicted Cold pattern (OR 0.810; p＜0.001; AUC 0.774). Sequential adjustment for age and BMI steadily improved AUCs for both absolute and ΔT metrics. Conclusions : Abdominal-peripheral ΔT measured by IRT, alongside absolute peripheral temperatures, offers objective, reproducible biomarkers for Cold-Heat pattern identification that complement the CHPIQ. Both the absolute temperature indicators and the temperature-difference indicators (e.g., ΔT (CV12-PC8), ΔT (CV12-ST42)) retained high discriminative performance after full covariate adjustment. Future studies should adopt machine-learning models and longitudinal multi-centre designs to refine predictive accuracy and externally validate these biomarkers.

Objectives : The 2025 Gyeongsangbuk-do wildfire was one of the most devastating wildfires in Korea's history, during which Korean Medicine clinics were established to provide medical support. This study examined clinic operations, patient and treatment characteristics, and the role of Korean medicine in disaster healthcare. Methods : This study retrospectively analyzed the operation of Korean Medicine clinics and 1,902 medical records documented between March 31 and April 18, 2025, focusing on 1,514 records written by public health doctors. Data included clinic operation details, patient demographics, diagnoses, symptoms, and treatments. All records were anonymized and analyzed using Excel (Microsoft, USA) and SPSS (IBM, USA), with frequency analysis and descriptive statistics performed. Results : A total of 11 clinics were operated, with most patients being women (68.1%) and older adults (≥60 years, ~86.7%). The re-visit rate was 42.1%, and primary victims accounted for 91.1% of cases. Main diagnoses included lower back pain, joint pain, respiratory infections, and stress-related disorders, while major symptoms involved musculoskeletal pain, anxiety, insomnia, and respiratory issues. Of the 2,820 treatments provided, acupuncture treatment accounted for over 50%, followed by herbal medicine, manual therapies, and cupping. Conclusions : This study is the first to analyze the operation and clinical characteristics of Korean Medicine clinics during Korea's largest wildfire disaster, highlighting the utilization of Korean Medicine in addressing musculoskeletal, psychological, and respiratory conditions in disaster settings. Additionally, efforts including long-term medical support and the implementation of pre-deployment training highlight the potential for advancing disaster Korean Medicine services and provide a foundation for developing standardized protocols.

Objectives : The tongue and gut are derived from a common endoderm and are structurally and functionally interconnected. Recent studies have suggested that these two organs share a microbiome environment and immune response, and may interact via the oral-gut axis. In this study, we used an acute Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) model to examine whether inflammation induced in the gut is reflected in tongue tissue, focusing on the endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Through this, we aimed to elucidate the molecular biological relationship between the tongue and gut. Methods : Acute colitis was induced by Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS) for two weeks. Disease severity was evaluated with the Disease Activity Index (DAI) score. Colonic mucosa was evaluated by colonoscopy. Histological analysis using Hematoxylin & Eosin staining assessed muscle, submucosal and crypt layers in the gut and mucosal and keratin layers in the tongue. Immunohistochemistry analyzed IRE1 and PCNA expression. Western blot measured IRE1, BiP and PCNA. Results : DSS treatment significantly increased the DAI score. Colonoscopy revealed mucosal erosion and hemorrhage, and H&E staining showed disruption of colonic glandular architecture. Western blot and Immunohistochemistry analyses demonstrated correlated changes in PCNA, IRE1 and BiP expression between the tongue and colon. Conclusions : This study indicates that intestinal inflammation in IBD is reflected in the tongue. These findings support the concept of the oral-gut axis and provide a scientific basis for tongue diagnosis (ex: Seoljjin) as a potential tool for assessing gastrointestinal health.

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the positional relationship between forearm acupuncture points and myotendinous junctions (MTJ) using ultrasonography, and to evaluate the effect of different forearm cun standards (10, 12, and 12.5 cun) on the accuracy of acupuncture point localization. Methods : Twenty healthy adults (10 males, 10 females) aged 19-65 years were recruited. Two forearm acupuncture points, Gonchoe (LU6) and Onryu (LI7), were selected based on their presumed anatomical relationship with myotendinous junctions. Acupuncture point locations from wrist crease were determined using bone proportion measurement, while MTJs of the brachioradialis (BR, related to LU6) and extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL, related to LI7) were identified through palpation and ultrasonography. All measurements were converted into cun units. We also analyzed how different forearm length standards (10, 12, and 12.5 cun) influenced positional relationships between acupuncture points [LU6 (7 cun), LI7 (5-6 cun range)] and their corresponding MTJ locations detected by palpation or ultrasonography. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis. Results : Significant differences were observed between palpation and ultrasonography measurements for both muscles. For LU6, the bone proportion-determined location was significantly more distal than both BR MTJ detected by palpation (6.47±0.53 cun) and BR MTJ detected by ultrasonography (5.54±0.48 cun) (p<0.05). For LI7, no significant difference was found between the bone proportion-determined location (5.10±0.26 cun) and ECRL MTJ detected by ultrasonography (5.12±0.62 cun). The 12.5-cun standard provided optimal correspondence between LI7 and ECRL MTJ detected by ultrasonography. However, the 12-cun standard also showed high correspondence. For ECRL MTJ, palpation showed greater variability in males and specific body composition (subcutaneous fat, body mass index, and percentage body fat) groups. Conclusions : This study provides anatomical evidence supporting the historical interpretation of LI7's relationship with muscle structures and offers guidance for improving WHO standard acupuncture point locations. LI7 demonstrated a strong anatomical correlation with the ECRL MTJ, supporting its use as a localization landmark. Ultrasonography could be used as an objective verification method for acupuncture point localization. The 12.5-cun forearm measurement provides the most accurate localization, though 12-cun measurement also shows high accuracy.

Objectives : This study is to report the effects of Korean Medicine focused on ultrasound-guided bee venom pharmacopuncture on failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). Methods : A 61-year-old male with persistent low back and radiating leg pain post-lumbar surgery received 40 days of inpatient treatment including ultrasound-guided bee venom pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, electroacupuncture, Chuna, acupotomy, cupping, and herbal medicine. Outcomes were assessed using NRS, ODI, and SLRT. Results : Pain and function improved significantly (NRS 8→1, ODI 41→18, SLRT 10→80) without adverse events. Conclusions : Ultrasound-guided bee venom pharmacopuncture combined with Korean medicine may be a safe and effective treatment for FBSS.

Objectives : This study aimed to demonstrate the clinical utility of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) as a diagnostic adjunct in Korean medicine practice by presenting six retrospective cases from a Korean medicine clinic. Methods : Six patients who presented with various nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain, edema, or trauma underwent POCUS during routine Korean medicine examination. Results : POCUS identified critical findings that were not evident through physical examination alone, aiding in the diagnosis of appendicitis, cholecystitis, pleural effusion, nephrolithiasis, patellar fracture, and deep vein thrombosis. In each case, ultrasound findings supported timely and accurate clinical decisions. Conclusions : This study suggests that point-of-care ultrasound may serve as a valuable adjunct to traditional diagnostic methods in Korean medicine, by improving diagnostic accuracy and facilitating timely clinical decisions. Broader integration would benefit from standardized protocols and structured training.