Research Trend in the Efficacy of Korean Medicine Treatment for Frostbite

Abstract

In the present study, we conducted a comprehensive search for clinical and experimental studies pertaining to Korean medicine for frostbite using electronic databases, including EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Research Information Sharing Service, Korean Studies Information Service System, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from January 1, 2000, to August 15, 2024. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data on the study design, intervention specifics, treatment duration, results, and study findings were systematically retrieved. Altogether, four studies, including two case studies and two animal experiments, that assessed the therapeutic effects of Korean medicine on frostbite were identified. Our study results indicated that Korean medicine could serve as a potential therapeutic approach for managing frostbite. However, further in-depth studies are warranted to substantiate our study findings.

Keywords

• acupuncture
• electroacupuncture
• frostbite
• herbal medicine
• korean traditional medicine