A manual acupuncture treatment attenuates common cold and its symptoms: a case series report from South Korea

OBJECTIVE: To investigate beneficial effects of manual acupuncture on common cold periods and its symptoms depended on the difference onset time of common cold, within 36 h or over than that. To prove effects of manual acupuncture on common cold, a retrospective chart review was conducted.METHODS: Chart data for patients with commoncold who were treated with only manual acupuncture with fulfilling Jackson scales and satisfaction at the end of each treatment were collected via multi-centers of Oriental hospitals,Oriental medicine clinics and covalent hospital in South Korea. Totally 187 patients were divided into two groups, Group Ⅰ(115 patients, within 36 h)and Group Ⅱ(72 patients, onset time of cold over than 36 h). Finally 120 patients were observed until entire resolution of cold symptoms.RESULTS: GroupⅠ showed significant decreases themediandurationsofcompletelyrecovery(3 days;95% CI 3.0-4.0) as compared with Group Ⅱ(6 days;95% CI 4.0-7.0, P < 0.001). The manual acupuncture beneficially worked for reduction rate of common cold symptoms by 50% after initial treatment,decreased cold symptoms, and reduced cold duration.CONCLUSION: Manual acupuncture beneficially affected common cold and its symptoms.Moreover it is more susceptibility on the early time of onset cold.

Cancer incidence varies significantly depending on Sasang constitution of Traditional Korean Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Sasang constitutional medicine is a component of Traditional Korean Medicine that stresses the hereditary makeup of disease incidences or therapeutic responses. This study investigated the relationship between the incidence of cancer and Sasang constitution classification. METHODS: Five hundred and one cancer patients were classified as having one of the four types of Sasang constitutions (Taeumin, Soumin, Soyangin, Taeyangin) using Questionnaire for Sasang Constitution Classification II, then compared with data from 1423 healthy subjects. RESULTS: The Sasang constitutional distribution for the cancer patients was significantly differentfrom that for healthy subjects: 22.8% vs 46.9% for Taeumin, 35.5% vs 24.0% for Soumin, and 41.7% vs 29.1% for Soyangin. Our results assumed that the lowest cancer incidence would be in Taeumin (around 2-fold in both sex) while the highest cancer incidence in Soumin males (2.8-fold) and Soyangin females (2.1-fold). CONCLUSION: This study identified a trend involving the frequency of cancer and the Sasang constitutional classification. We hope that this finding will provide new ideas for the study of cancer incidence and its preventive management.