Short Review on “A Case Report of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Improved with Korean Medicine Treatment Focused on Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture” (2025)

Table of Contents
Keywords Introduction Key Findings of the Case Report Clinical Implications and Future Perspectives Conclusion References References

Short Review on “A Case Report of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Improved with Korean Medicine Treatment Focused on Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture” (2)

Journal of Alternative Complementary & Integrative Medicine Category: Medicine Type: Short Review

Hwayeon Ryu1,2*

1 Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, Cheonan Korean Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University, 4, Notaesan-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea
2 Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Korea
*Corresponding Author(s):

Hwayeon Ryu
Department Of Acupuncture And Moxibustion Medicine, Cheonan Korean Medicine Hospital Of Daejeon University, 4, Notaesan-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea
Tel:+82 415217594,
Fax:+82 415217007
Email:nanhy1302@gmail.com

Received Date: Jan 31, 2025

Accepted Date: Feb 11, 2025

Published Date: Feb 18, 2025

Keywords

Bee venom; Case report; Cervical myelopathy; Digital infrared thermal imaging; Pharmacopuncture

Introduction

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM) is a degenerative spinal disorder that can lead to significant neurological impairments, including pain, motor dysfunction, and sensory loss. Conventional treatments for CSM range from conservative management to surgical interventions. However, Korean medicine, particularly bee venom pharmacopuncture, has shown promising therapeutic effects in managing CSM-related symptoms. The case report by Ryu Hwayeon provides valuable clinical insights into the potential benefits of this integrative approach.

Key Findings of the Case Report

The study detailed the treatment of a 56-year-old male patient diagnosed with CSM, who presented with neck pain, upper extremity numbness, and motor dysfunction. The treatment protocol included acupuncture, herbal medicine, and bee venom pharmacopuncture administered over 13 sessions. The therapeutic outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale, and Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI).

The results demonstrated:

  • A significant reduction in pain (VAS score from 9 to 1)
  • Improved motor function and sensory recovery in the upper extremities
  • Increased blood circulation in the affected area, confirmed through DITI

These findings suggest that Korean medicine, particularly bee venom pharmacopuncture, can be an effective non-surgical approach for managing CSM symptoms.

Clinical Implications and Future Perspectives

The case report highlights the potential of bee venom pharmacopuncture as an alternative or complementary therapy for CSM. The mechanism of action is attributed to bee venom’s anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, which may help alleviate spinal cord compression-induced symptoms. Future studies should focus on larger clinical trials and comparative studies to validate these findings and establish standardized treatment protocols [1-19].

Conclusion

This case report underscores the promising role of Korean medicine, especially bee venom pharmacopuncture, in improving the symptoms of CSM. While further research is necessary, this study provides preliminary evidence supporting its clinical application as a conservative treatment option.

References

  1. Al-Mefty O, Harkey LH, Middleton TH, Smith RR, Fox JL (1998) Myelopathic cervical spondylotic lesions demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging. J Neurosurg 68: 217-222.
  2. The Textbook Compilation Committee of The Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society (2012) The Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Jipmoon-Dang 501: 635-637.
  3. Ghogawala Z, Benzel EC, Riew KD, Bisson EF, Heary RF (2015) Surgery vs conservative care for cervical spondylotic myelopathy: Surgery is appropriate for progressive myelopathy. Neurosurgery 62: 56-61.
  4. Kadanka Z, Bednarík J, Novotný O, Urbánek I, Dušek L (2011) Cervical spondylotic myelopathy: Conservative versus surgical treatment after 10 years. Eur Spine J 20: 1533-1538.
  5. Kim JK, Cho J, Nam D, Kang J, Lee S (2018) Integrative korean medicine as a possible conservative treatment for mild cervical spondylotic myelopathy: One-year follow-up case report (CARE-compliant). Medicine (Baltimore) 97: 12249.
  6. Moreno M, Giralt E (2015) Three valuable peptides from bee and wasp venoms for therapeutic and biotechnological use: melittin, apamin and mastoparan. Toxins (Basel) 7: 1126-1150.
  7. Conrad VJ, Hazan LL, Latorre AJ, Jakubowska A, Kim CMH (2019) Efficacy and Safety of Honey Bee Venom (Apis mellifera) Dermal Injections to Treat Osteoarthritis Knee Pain and Physical Disability: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med 25: 845-855.
  8. An DY, Kim CE, Han SZ, Kim MK, Yu SJ, et al. (2022) A Severe Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Patient Treated with Integrative Korean Medicine Including Acupuncture, Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture and Herbal Medicine: a case report. J pharmacopuncture 25: 138-144.
  9. Byun DY, Lee GE, Roh JA, Kim HJ, Huh SW, et al. (2019) A review of the korean traditional medicine for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. J Korean Med Rehabil 29: 149-158.
  10. Carlsson AM (1983) Assessment of chronic pain. I. aspects of the reliability and validity of the visual analogue scale. Pain 16: 87-101.
  11. Tetreault L, Kopjar B, Nouri A, Arnold P, Barbagallo G, et al. (2017) The modified Japanese orthopaedic association scale: Establishing criteria for mild, moderate, and severe impairment in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy. Eur Spine J 26: 78-84.
  12. Choi YC, Lim CS, Kwon KR (2008) Standardization study of thermal imaging using the acupoints in human body. J Korean Institute of Pharmacopuncture 11: 113-122.
  13. Badhiwala JH, Ahuja CS, Akbar MA, Witiw CD, Nassiri F, et al. (2020) Degenerative cervical myelopathy—update and future directions. Nat Rev Neurol 16: 108-124.
  14. Kim KT, Kim YB (2010) Cervical radiculopathy due to cervical degenerative diseases: Anatomy, diagnosis, and treatment. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 48: 473-479.
  15. Ellenberg MR, Honet JC, Treanor WJ (1994) Cervical radiculopathy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 75: 342-352.
  16. Park YK, Woo SH, Kim JH, Lee JH, Lee YK, et al. (2021) Treatment of Cervical Myelopathy with Acupotomy Combined with Korean Medicine Treatments: Two Clinical Cases. J Acupunct Res 38: 79-84.
  17. Liu XD, Zhang JL, Zheng HG, Liu FY, Chen Y (2008) Clinical randomized study of bee-sting therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu 33: 197-200.
  18. Nam KW, Je KH, Lee JH, Han HJ, Lee HJ, et al. (2003) Inhibition of COX-2 activity and proinflammatory cytokines (TNpha and IL-1beta) production by water-soluble sub-fractionated parts from bee (Apis mellifera) venom. Arch Pharm Res 26: 383-388.
  19. Karimi A, Ahmadi F, Parivar K, Nabiuni M, Haghighi S, et al. (2012) Effect of honey bee venom on lewis rats with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, a model for multiple sclerosis. Iran J Pharm Res 11: 671-678.

Citation:Ryu H (2025) Short Review on “A Case Report of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Improved with Korean Medicine Treatment Focused on Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture”. J Altern Complement Integr Med 11: 550.

Copyright: © 2025 Hwayeon Ryu, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Short Review on “A Case Report of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Improved with Korean Medicine Treatment Focused on Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture” (3)

Journal Highlights

  • Alternative Medicine
  • Integrative Medicine
  • Traditional Chinese medicine
  • Herbal Medicine
  • Natural Medicine
  • Acupuncture
See Also
Effectiveness and safety of moxibustion for Parkinson disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

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Short Review on “A Case Report of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Improved with Korean Medicine Treatment Focused on Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture” (2025)

References

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