Traditional Korean Medicine

A few weeks ago while running I got a cramp in my neck.  And then it didn't go away for five days.  It was very painful and uncomfortable and by the time four days had gone by I knew I had to get treatment for it.  I had heard good things about acupuncture as a traditional Korean medicine and decided to try it.  Because culture.

I went to the traditional Korean doctor's office, gave them my identification card, and sat down awaiting my fate.  Eventually I was taken into a consultation office where the doctor and I only spoke Korean.  That's not very impressive though because I don't speak that much Korean.  Mostly I just pointed to where it hurt and wailed in pain when he pushed on my neck.  Communication.

I was taken to the treatment room where they have multiple beds in little cubicles.  The nurse woman attached some electrodes to my neck and shoulder and it massaged me for about 15 minutes.  It felt really nice and I was hoping that that was the end of it all.  But I was wrong.

I should note here that I actually hate needles.  Hate them.  I have lost it more than once in a doctor's office because I needed a shot or having my blood drawn.  I even threatened to fire a lady once.  But I was in so much pain that I was willing to have multiple needles stuck into my body in an attempt to lessen the pain.  True desperation.

After the electrode session was done, the nurse came back and pricked my shoulder with something.  I don't actually know what she was doing.  The she put some glass cups over the spots where she had pricked me and sucked out the air.  At this point in time I didn't actually know that she had pricked me with something but then one of the cups fell off and dropped onto my wrist.  She came and put it back on and it was then that I noticed blood on my wrist.  "Why is there blood on me?" I thought.  I had the nurse take a photo of my  shoulder and stupidly looked it while the cups were still on me.  SO DUMB.  It's graphic, you guys.  Too graphic to post on the internet.  If you really want to see it I can send it to you in an email.

I had the glass cups on me for maybe 10 minutes then the nurse came and took them off.  She shifted me to the other end of the table and the doctor came in, this time with the actual acupuncture needles.  I was scared.  All of this had been happening in another language with no explanation to me.  I was in a lot of pain. And I didn't know how long it was all going to last or even if it was going to work.  But I sucked it up and prepared myself for what I was hoping would be the final part of my treatment.

But before that happened I became a baby.

Pathetic, I know, but I just hate needles so much.  I asked the nurse to hold my hand by whimpering and calling her a formal name for mother.  Which is acceptable in Korean society by the way, but it still made me sound like an infant.  Once the needles were all in I tried to rest and breath in and out slowly.  Then after a while the doctor came back, took out the needles, and I was ready to go home.

My neck and shoulder with the needles in it.  If you look closely you can see the fear in my jaw.

Immediately afterward I felt good.  I went to a coffee shop and had a cup of tea while studying.  Then slowly my neck felt more and more tense.  I went home and laid down for an hour then spent the rest of the night not moving my neck.  I was still in so much pain!  Does that mean it didn't work? 

No, it worked.  It just took the rest of the night to work itself out.  In another day I was fine.  And I was so happy because the neck cramp had been so painful that now it was nice to be able to function like a normal person.  But I still had nasty looking bruises for about a week after.  Check it out!

The one directly on my neck is particularly bad.  Had to wear my hair down for a week.  

So that's it!  Korean traditional medicine.  Would I do it again?  Definitely.  Would I recommend it?  For sure.  You have nothing to lose!  The whole procedure cost me about $8 and took about 30 minutes with no appointment.  And I felt better afterwards!  It just wasn't instantaneous, but what ever is really.  

Would you ever get acupuncture?  Have you ever gotten acupuncture?  I want to hear people's stories!