{"title":"Acupuncture and herbal medicine in preventing amputation and promoting tissue regeneration in severe frostbite: A case series","authors":"Seojung Ha , Heonju Park , Sanghoon Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.explore.2023.07.006","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p><span>Frostbite is a medically significant form of </span>tissue injury<span><span> that can lead to the potential need for amputation or necessitate tissue regeneration. It occurs most frequently at cryogenic temperatures in extreme altitude climbing, winter sports, and military activities. While </span>acupuncture and herbal medicine have been reported to possess tissue regeneration effectiveness, there is currently no clinical evidence supporting their use in treating grade 3 frostbite cases at risk of amputation.</span></p></div><div><h3>Case presentation</h3><p><span><span>Three patients were diagnosed with grade 3 frostbite based on the extent and severity of tissue damage after alpine climbing in the Himalayas. After an urgent treatment, partial body amputation was advised. In order to seek any complementary treatment options and avoid amputation, they were referred to a frostbite expert in </span>traditional Korean medicine<span>. They received a comprehensive treatment consisting of acupuncture<span>, bloodletting, direct moxibustion<span>, and herbal medicine. All the patients showed notable healing of the damaged tissue, which prevented the need for amputation. No adverse effects or other </span></span></span></span>sequelae were observed.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This case series suggests that complementary medicine, primarily acupuncture and herbal medicine, could be effective for severe frostbite. Further studies with larger sample sizes and control groups are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of this treatment modality for frostbite management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":50459,"journal":{"name":"Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830723001659","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"INTEGRATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Frostbite is a medically significant form of tissue injury that can lead to the potential need for amputation or necessitate tissue regeneration. It occurs most frequently at cryogenic temperatures in extreme altitude climbing, winter sports, and military activities. While acupuncture and herbal medicine have been reported to possess tissue regeneration effectiveness, there is currently no clinical evidence supporting their use in treating grade 3 frostbite cases at risk of amputation.
Case presentation
Three patients were diagnosed with grade 3 frostbite based on the extent and severity of tissue damage after alpine climbing in the Himalayas. After an urgent treatment, partial body amputation was advised. In order to seek any complementary treatment options and avoid amputation, they were referred to a frostbite expert in traditional Korean medicine. They received a comprehensive treatment consisting of acupuncture, bloodletting, direct moxibustion, and herbal medicine. All the patients showed notable healing of the damaged tissue, which prevented the need for amputation. No adverse effects or other sequelae were observed.
Conclusion
This case series suggests that complementary medicine, primarily acupuncture and herbal medicine, could be effective for severe frostbite. Further studies with larger sample sizes and control groups are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of this treatment modality for frostbite management.
期刊介绍:
EXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing addresses the scientific principles behind, and applications of, evidence-based healing practices from a wide variety of sources, including conventional, alternative, and cross-cultural medicine. It is an interdisciplinary journal that explores the healing arts, consciousness, spirituality, eco-environmental issues, and basic science as all these fields relate to health.