The network analysis of acupoints for primary dysmenorrhea

원발성 월경곤란 치료를 위한 경혈 및 경혈 조합의 네트워크 분석

  • In-Seon Lee (College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University)
  • 이인선 (경희대학교 한의과대학)
  • Received : 2022.11.10
  • Accepted : 2022.12.26
  • Published : 2022.12.31

Abstract

Objectives: Primary dysmenorrhea is a representative disease that causes intestinal pain, and it has long been known that acupuncture treatment is effective. In this study, a network analysis was conducted using acupuncture points reported in the existing systematic literature review, and the combination of acupuncture points used to treat primary dysmenorrhea was analyzed. Methods: Among of a total of 60 papers, excluding those that used ear acupuncture, the analysis results indicated that combinations of BL23, BL40, BL25, BL60, BL30, Ashi-points, BL26, GB34, and GV3 were used in combination. Results: Through this, it can be seen that previous studies to reveal the effectiveness of acupuncture on back pain mainly used the acupoints of the bladder meridian (BL), local acupoints group, and distal acupoints group. Conclusion: In order to reveal the correlation between acupoints and therapeutic effects through future studies and to provide guidelines on the principles of selecting and combining acupoints, it is necessary to employ a quantitative analysis method for therapeutic effects and to provide detailed reports on acupoints.

원발성 월경곤란은 내장 통증을 일으키는 대표적인 질환으로, 오랫동안 침 치료가 효과적인 질환으로 알려져왔다. 이번 연구는 기존의 체계적 문헌고찰에 보고된 경혈을 이용하여 네트워크 분석을 수행하였고, 이를 통해 원발성 월경곤란을 치료하기 위해 이용되는 경혈과 경혈의 조합을 분석하였다. 총 60편 중 이침을 이용한 논문을 제외하고 의 논문을 분석 결과에 따르면 신수, 위중, 대장수, 곤륜, 환도, 아시혈, 관원수, 양릉천, 기해수, 요양관이었으며, 태계혈이 함께 조합되어 사용되었다. 이를 통해 요통에 대한 침 치료 효과를 밝히기 위한 이전의 연구들에서 족태양방광경의 경혈들이 주로 사용된 것, 그리고 근위와 원위의 경혈이 사용된 것을 알 수 있다. 추후 연구를 통해 경혈과 치료 효과 간의 상관 관계를 밝히고 경혈을 선정하고 조합하는 원리에 대한 가이드라인을 제시하기 위해서는 치료 효과에 대한 정량적인 분석 방법과 이용한 경혈에 대한 자세한 보고가 필수적이다.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MSIT) (NRF-2021R1F1A1050116).

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