Introduction
Pharmacopuncture therapy
Pharmacopuncture is newly developed and used to the Oriental medicine therapeutics based on the principles of Korean medicine using scientific technology and medical devices. With acupuncture based on the meridian theory and herbal medicine based on Qi and flavor theory. During treatment, the pharmacopuncture utilizes syringe needle and is a modern treatment of Traditional Korean Medicine using herbal medicine based on Qi/flavor theories and acupoints selection based on meridian theories. In the treatment of pharmacopuncture, the patient’s constitution and conditions are differentially diagnosed and specific amount of herbal extracts are injected on meridians and acupoints, providing effects of both acupuncture and herbal medicine. Areas of treatment Meridian, Acupoint, Ashi point, skin, muscle, bone, vein, etc. Medicine Pharmacopuncture Treatment principle Differenciation Amount of single treatment Depending on the pharmacopuncture and the problem, but usually about 0.01-1.0 mL per area Mechanism of efficacy Combined effects of both acupoints and herbal medicine Practitioner Oriental medicine doctorMerits of Pharmacopuncture
(1)Diverse clinical applications
Pharmacopuncture can be applied to treat various conditions including, acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, internal diseases and more.
(2)Fast results
Effects of pharmacopuncture can be seen immediately after treatment as the pain and other symptoms are reduced on spot.
Pharmacopuncture is especially useful for pain reduction, antiinflammation, anti-pyretic actions, as wells as for other short acting reactions.
(3)Simultaneous treatment with acupuncture / moxibustion and other drugs providing synergistic effects
Pharmacopuncture is particularly effective for patients with multiple conditions and complications.
(4)Useful for hard to treat disorders
Hard to treat disorders using conventional medicine such as cancer, malignant tumor, autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis, herniated disc and other systemic disorders can also benefit from pharmacopuncture.
(5)Simple procedure with shorter treatment duration
Application of pharmacopuncture is based on the meridian theory similar to that of acupuncture treatment. With comprehensive knowledge in herbal characteristics and acupoint indications, a well-trained practitioner should not face any problem applying the treatment in clinical settings. As the needle is not left in the body, the treatment duration is much shorter compared to the regular acupuncture treatment. One exception to this is the Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture (BVP) which can take up to 30 minutes to stabilize and to resume normal activities.
(6)Easy treatment regulation (frequency and intervals)
The injected herbal substances will continue to stimulate acupoints providing lasting effects.
For most cases, couple treatments a week are likely to yield good outcomes. If the patient is unable to make frequent visits to the clinic, increasing the dosage will provide longer lasting efficacy. Treatments frequency and intervals can be changed according to the condition, for example, treatments can be given twice a day for acute herniated disc conditions.
(7)Beneficial to patients unable to ingest herbal medicine
Patients with difficulty swallowing or for those who refuse to take herbal medicine can obtain the similar benefit by receiving the pharmacopuncture treatment.
(8)Easy for emergency patients or pediatric patients who are afraid of acupuncture
Because the treatment duration is short, it is easy to use for emergency patients and pediatric patients who are afraid of acupuncture.
(9)Easy to learn and use clinically
Pharmacopuncture is used for diagnosis and treatment by utilizing the Traditional Oriental Medicine theory. Therefore, it can be easily used in clinical test after recognizing the characteristics, treatment methods, and precautions of pharmacopuncture.
(10)Useful for prevention and diagnosis
Diagnosis by touching that is emphasized in the pharmacopuncture can improve the accuracy of diagnosis by supplementing the existing four examinations (望聞問切) and is also helpful in diagnosing physical constitution or identifying the cause of the disease.
If you become proficient in diagnosis, you can predict the possibility of the occuring diseases, which is also useful for preventing diseases.
(11)Great potential of future development
Mostly all existing medicinal herbs can be prepared to the pharmacopuncture. In particular, pharmacopuncture that is effective to a certain disease or currently used pharmacopuncture is being developed. Therefore, it is one of the most promising areas that are most likely to contribute to the expansion of Korean medicine treatment in the future.