Korean Medicine

time i got ear acupuncture

While perusing Korean tourist brochures one day at a train station, I came across information about a "Korean Medicine Experience".  How cool does that sound?  I already have some knowledge of Korean medicine because of my acupuncture treatment, but I wanted to learn more.  So I did a little internet digging and found an event specifically for foreigners in Seoul.  After convincing a friend that this was my best idea of all time, off we went!

The Korean Medicine Experience takes place at a traditional Korean home site.  I think it used to be the home of a king's father-in-law or something, I'm not totally positive.  In any case, now there are currently a lot of tourists and a Korean doctor.  We made our way over to where the Experience was and kind of lingered until someone invited us to have a consultation.  We filled out some forms about our medical history and then underwent some tests.  Not serious tests.  Just blood pressure, heart rate, that sort of thing.  Normal doctor stuff.  We were also attached to a computer with one of those finger clips and had to do something where we held two handles and had energy pulse through our body, reading our minds.  Not really, it doesn't read your mind.  Or does it?

After finishing our tests, drinking tea, and doing a puzzle (not part of the experience, just a pleasant way to pass time) we finally got to meet with the doctor.  A little bit of information about doctors of Korean medicine.  They are not quack doctors who just do whatevs and tromp about Korea lying to people and pushing pins into them for entertainment.  No, they are legit.  Only the top 1% of students are even considered to become Korean medicine doctors and then they have to study thousands of years of researched practices to become certified.  It's serious stuff.  And to top it all off, my guy is famous!!!

You can see my guy at the 3 minute mark but I recommend watching the whole thing because hello, learning!  Warning though, this is a little graphic.  Like blood, no murders or anything.  It's the Discovery Channel not Game of Thrones.

My doctor read my chart and my friend's chart and explained that my arteries are 32 years old!!!!  Do you know how terrifying that is?  At the time I was only 28.  He advised that I eat more oatmeal and less bad foods like fried chicken and pizza.  He also said that people should not eat after 8 pm or so because if you eat before bed then your body spends all night digesting that food and doesn't get a chance to rest.  How genius is that?  I never thought of it at all.  After all of this advice I whispered to myself, "It's like he knows all of my secrets..." and he laughed.  But really, how did he know that I sometimes ate Oreos before bed?  Korean medicine brilliancy, that's how.

Finally before we left, he gave us ear acupuncture.  It was pretty cool and was meant to help my shoulder and neck pain.  I think it worked pretty well.  In any case it didn't hurt me at all.  Plus it looked cool.  

What else do you want to know about Korean medicine?  Do you want ear acupuncture?  I totally want to get a full-time Korean doctor when I move back to America.  Do you think that's possible?  I certainly hope so!