A Study on the Significance of Acupuncture and Pharmacopuncture Therapy for Cold Accumulation Through a Literature Review on the Historical Development Process in Cold Accumulation Treatment

In order to secure clinical evidence for the treatment of cold accumulation (CA), this study reviewed and analyzed 91 records of literature and related records. To perform a classical literature search, the Oriental Medicine Classic databases and the Uibujeonrok electronic data were searched. Books on Immuno-pharmacopuncture (IP) were also reviewed. A common etiology for CA was attributed to the abdomen, while the detailed sites of the abdomen differed. In IP, CA had a more comprehensive list of symptoms of physiological and pathological significance. As for the treatment of CA, typically, herbal medicine was used until the end of the Korean Empire period, and moxibustion treatment on CV4, CV6, CV-12, ST36, EX-B4, and conduction exercise therapy were also reported. Since 1965, acupuncture needle-based invasive treatment such as acupuncture for CA, and IP have been described in IP theory. Consequently, the treatment of CA (as described in the IP theory), was considered to be a more advanced method of treatment compared with the existing classical treatment methods.