Oriental Medicine - for your climbing injuries?

[shanja]

OK so I see and talk to lots of folk who manage to incur the odd injury here and there. Tweaked fingers, strained tendons, twisted ankles, cricked backs and arthritic joints etc.
A lot of KOTRers may be new to Korea, the Orient or otherwise inexperienced with "traditional" oriental medicine/ treatment options. So I'd just like to point out that on the whole I've had a really positive and efficacious experience using them. In Korea Oiental Medicine Clinics are everywhere, and called Han-Ui-Wons (한의원s). Don't be put off by the thought of several dozen needles etc being stuck into your body, or by notions that it's all mumbo-jumbo mystic pseudo-science. It's not. In Korea the doctors who work at them have to go through Uni just like western medicine doctors do, and often they have done both schools of medicine, and gone on to specialize in Oriental medicine. They usually speak some basic English too, and often prescribe a combination of western and oriental treatments.
Anyway I just wanted to say if you do have an injury, don't discount using accupaunture (Chim ryo - 침료) etc as a possible option. It's not for everything, but soft tissue trauma, joint issues and so on...seems to work a treat. Keep well and climb safe.

[skinsk]

I agree with the soft tissue injuries, especially neck and shoulder tweaks. Not sure about tendonitis or sprains, but I doubt it could hurt, as the treatment is non-traumatic nor invasive. I'd be curious about this though, Lindsey?!?! (My Hanni Doc in Jeonju has also studies some chiropractic, so he has done some intense manuevering on me, but always with my permission and in cases where chiropractic was what I needed.

I've personally had good results with a cold and with cramps. Several friends who've had serious migrane problems have found major relief, and even those who didn't get full relief said it helped "at first" or "a little".

Keep in mind that you don't have to belive in all of the theories behind Oriental Medicine for it to work (I don't) and also keep in mind that despite it's 5000 year history, Hanni and Chinese medicine continues to develope for the modern world (witness the gaining popularity in Western medical schools and western enrollment in the East!) . . . you can expect, along with your accupuncture and suction, TENS, ultrasound, massage and parafin treatments. Many of the same procedures you'd get in physio at home are integrated into Oriental medicine (most likely borrowed from it!). If your doc speaks English well, you might also get a small lecture about lifestyle!

The only problems I've had have been 2 very painful procedures (out of probably 50+ sessions). . . once, my back was perforated with something that looked like a medieval weapon or mallot with pins on it, then the "bad blood" was painfully sucked out-- and when I faineted, the curtain was pulled around me and I was left until I came to. second, some burning ash dropping procedure (also on my back, so I couldn't see so well) --the burning hurt!!

It's generally about W3,000 with insurance, W5,000 without for about 40 minutes. Doctors' English varies, as unlike western medicine, the language of instruction/books is Chinese rather than English. Most major cities will have doctors with resonable English, or bring a friend. If you see a meat-tenderizer with spikes or fire come out, you have the right to say no!

[normalcyispasse]

This helped me a TON the first time I injured my back. I went from not really being able to brush my teeth because I couldn't bend over the sink to being able to walk around almost pain-free.

Then I went and re-injured my back again, but that was my own stupidity. 8 months later, it's almost healed. :)

Before, I would've called all this stuff bunk. After having it done, though (and at only 14,000 for a week!), I have to say that it's one avenue that at least warrants exploring -- if at least for no other reason than the experience.

(Edit: I've had the gamut done, too, from normal acupuncture to fire acupuncture to cupping to bloodletting. Weird, but interesting at least.)