A Case Study of Burning Mouth Syndrome with Oro-facial Dyskinesia Treated with Korean Medicine using Se-sim Pharmacopuncture

Abstract

Objectives This clinical report describes one patient with the clinical characteristics of burning mouth syndrome accompanied by oro-facial dyskinesia. Methods The patient with burning mouth syndrome and jaw tremor was treated using the following Korean medicine treatments: the herbal medicines Yukgunja-tang-gami (å ­å›å­æ¹¯åŠ å‘³) and Sibak-tang-gami (æŸ´æœ´æ¹¯åŠ å‘³) and acupuncture for 16 days, together with 10 Se-sim (Uncaria Ramulus et Uncus) pharmacopuncture procedures. Patient symptoms were evaluated daily using a Visual Analog Scale questionnaire and twice using the STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) questionnaire. Results After the treatments, the oro-facial dyskinesia and burning sensation on the tongue were improved by 62.5%. The mental state of anxiety, regarded as the reason for these complaints, was also improved, based on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory results (67/61 versus 57/52). We found that the improvement was better when combining Se-sim (Uncaria Ramulus et Uncus) pharmacopuncture with the conventional herbal medicine and acupuncture used in Korean medicine. Conclusion Korean medicine treatments may be valuable for patients with burning mouth syndrome and oro-facial dyskinesia. Keywords: burning mouth syndrome, oro-facial dyskinesia, Korean medical treatment, Yukgunja-tang-gami, Sibak-tang-gami