A few weeks ago on my way home from work, I was waiting at an intersection when—bang!—another car hit me from behind.
It was a rear-end collision. I treat traffic accident patients every day, and suddenly I was one of them. 😂
I felt fine right after the accident—just shaken up.
The real problems hit the next day. My neck and shoulders stiffened like stone, chills ran through my body, and exhaustion knocked me flat. Classic car accident symptoms were appearing in my own body. 🤕
The aftereffects are often called 'Whiplash Injury.’ The sudden impact whips your neck like a lash, causing micro-tears in muscles and ligaments.
In Korean medicine, we call this "Eohyeol (瘀血)"—blood circulation disorder. 🔁
Why Do Car Accident Patients Choose Korean Medicine?
Recent statistics show that Korean medicine treatment accounts for over 60% of all car insurance medical claims.
Among patients with soft-tissue injuries (no fractures), 87% of those requiring 8+ weeks of treatment chose Korean medicine clinics (July 2025 data).
Why do car accident victims specifically seek Korean medicine?
1️⃣ Korean Medicine: Treats "Invisible" Pain
Ever heard "Your X-rays look fine" after an accident, yet still felt terrible? That confusion is all too real.
Korean medicine excels at treating pain that doesn't show up on tests. Acupuncture, herbal injections (yakchim), Chuna therapy, and herbal medicine effectively address micro-injuries, inflammation, and blood stagnation.
2️⃣ Herbal Injections (Yakchim): Body + Mind Treatment
Car accidents cause physical pain plus psychological trauma—shock, insomnia, anxiety.
2025 research shows: Yakchim treatment for traffic accident aftereffects significantly improved both physical pain AND psychological symptoms like anxiety and depression.
Key findings:
- Anxiety/depression scores dropped 60% with yakchim (vs. 40% with standard treatment—20%p better)
- Patients felt significantly better relief from anxiety, depression, and insomnia
- Faster recovery rates maintained through 2-month follow-up
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Zero adverse reactions reported
3️⃣ Chuna Therapy: Realigning Your Body
Chuna is a manual therapy in which doctors use their hands to realign the spine and joints displaced by impact. It's one of the most popular treatments among accident patients.
2025 study (120 acute neck pain patients): Adding Chuna to standard treatment showed significantly faster pain reduction on both NRS and VAS scales.
4️⃣ Herbal Medicine: Preventing Long-Term Damage
2023 research reveals dramatic benefits of herbal medicine for traffic accident aftereffects:
1) Pain cut by more than half
Patients who took herbal medicine alongside standard treatments (acupuncture, Chuna therapy) experienced significantly greater pain reduction in their neck and back compared to those who received standard treatment alone.
This wasn't just about masking symptoms—the herbal medicine fundamentally strengthened the body's healing capacity, allowing it to address the root cause of pain more quickly.
2) Trauma reduced to 1/9th of the original level
The results for post-accident stress showed a dramatic difference.
Patients receiving standard Korean medicine treatment saw their stress scores (IES-R-K) gradually decrease from 20 points to around 15 points. However, patients who took herbal medicine saw their scores plummet from a severe 27.3 points down to just 3.07 points—reducing trauma to approximately 1/9th of the original level.
This proves that herbal medicine plays a crucial role not only in relieving physical pain but also in restoring mental stability after the shock of an accident
3) Benefits last long after treatment.
A 17-week follow-up study revealed that patients who took herbal medicine maintained very low pain levels long after treatment ended. This demonstrates that herbal medicine doesn't just provide temporary relief—it fundamentally strengthens the body to prevent long-term complications.
Q&A: Treating Car Accident Injuries with Korean Medicine
Q1. When should I start treatment after an accident?
✅ The first 3 weeks are critical.
Accident pain is strange—it often gets worse days or even a week later. If you delay treatment because "I'm too busy" or "it's bearable," micro-inflammation can become chronic pain.
Q2. Should I visit a Korean medicine clinic daily?
✅ Yes! Daily visits are recommended for the first 3 weeks.
Early intensive care is key to fast recovery after car accidents. HIRA (Korea's Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service) recommends the following treatment schedule:
| Time After Accident | Visits Per Week | Treatment Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 weeks | Daily (7×/week) | Intensive Care |
| 4-11 weeks | 3×/week | Recovery & Management |
| 12-24 weeks | 2×/week | Monitoring |
| 6+ months | 1×/week | Maintenance |
As you can see from the table, even the government recognizes that daily treatment in the initial weeks after an accident is most effective. 🤗
Q3. Can I switch between different korean medicine clinics?
✅ Absolutely!
You can visit one clinic near work during weekdays and another near home on weekends—no problem at all.
If you have auto insurance, just give the clinic front desk these details: your accident date, insurance company name, and claims adjuster's contact.
Once they receive the payment guarantee(지불 보증서) from your insurer, you can switch between different Korean medicine clinics without any interruption in treatment.
"Listen to Your Body—Don't Ignore Post-Accident Symptoms"
I'm currently recovering from my own accident, receiving acupuncture, yakchim, Chuna therapy, and herbal medicine from a colleague. The chills I felt right after the crash are gone, and my stiff neck moves freely again. 😉
Here's what I learned firsthand: early treatment matters, and recovery takes longer than you think. Skip appointments now, and you'll pay with more time and money later.
After an accident, don't brush off the small signals your body sends. Korean medicine clinics are here to help you get back to normal life—faster. ♥️
