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Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of muscle energy techniques (MET) of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles on Bell’s palsy. Methods In this retrospective study, we screened the medical records of patients with Bell’s palsy who had received inpatient and outpatient treatment at the Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Korean Medicine Hospital Dong-Eui University between November 28, 2016 and April 30, 2017. A total of 34 out of 93 Bell’s palsy patients met the inclusion criteria. The 34 patients were divided into two groups: Group A patients had undergone Korean–Western combination treatment and MET of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles; Group B patients had undergone Korean–Western combination treatment only. MET of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles had been performed three times a week during the inpatient period, and two to three times a week during the outpatient period. Yanagihara scores had been assessed at the first visit, and 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after the first visit. Results Group A Yanagihara scores were significantly improved during each interval from the first visit to 4 weeks later. Group B Yanagihara scores were also significantly improved except during the first week. During every period, the improvements observed in Yanagihara score were significantly higher in Group A than in Group B. Conclusions These results suggest that MET of upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles may be effective treatment for Bell’s palsy.

Objectives : The aim of this study is to determine whether Chinemys reevesii Gray pharmacopuncture is a clinically effective treatment for women with knee osteoarthritis. Methods : Female patients with knee osteoarthritis were recruited from May 1, 2014 to April 15, 2015 at the Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine of Dong-Eui University Korean Medical Hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups. 4.0 ml of Chinemys reevesii Gray pharmacopuncture was injected at acupuncture points of the experimental group(n = 24) twice a week for three weeks. The control group(n = 24) received 5 % dextrose injections in order to identically stimulate the same acupuncture points of ST35, ST34, SP9, SP10, GB34, LR8, EX-LE4, and EX-LE2. The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire(SF-MPQ), the Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(KWOMAC), and the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions(EQ-5D) were recorded to evaluate treatment efficacy at first visit, after two weeks and four weeks from the initial visit. Results : 40 patients completed the trial. The experimental group showed more significant improvement than the control group in the scores of SF-MPQ, KWOMAC, and EQ-5D. However, there was no significant difference between groups in a few of the assessment scales. Conclusions : Chinemys reevesii Gray pharmacopuncture can be an effective treatment in control of pain, improvement in function and health-related quality of life for women with knee osteoarthritis.