Main ClinicPain & Accident Recovery
AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
Traffic Accident Aftereffects
If you felt fine right after the accident, but your neck and low back hurt a few days later
Pain after a traffic accident may change location over time or appear as new symptoms. It is important to receive steady, regular treatment from the acute phase.
of Hoechundang care
- POINT 01
If you provide your accident information, we can help with scheduling, registration, and receiving the treatment fee payment guarantee letter.
- POINT 02
We examine both your physical and emotional condition, from neck and low back pain to headaches, insomnia, and indigestion.
- POINT 03
Customized herbal medicine for blood stasis, combined with acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, Chuna Manual Therapy, Cupping, and Physical Therapy
01SELF CHECK
Do you have these symptoms after an accident?
0/ 8
Tap the items that apply to you.
02WHY IT HAPPENS
Traffic Accident Aftereffects can appear in these ways
Traffic Accident Aftereffects can appear even without visible external injury, regardless of the severity of the accident. A sudden impact can injure the neck, low back, shoulders, wrists, knees, and other areas, and may accelerate degenerative changes in the spine and joints. The painful area may change or new patterns may appear, and pain may also suddenly occur long after the accident.
Blood stasis (瘀血) in Korean medicine
When microvessels rupture from impacts large or small, blood and waste products that are not absorbed can gather inside the body. This is called blood stasis (瘀血). In Korean medicine, blood stasis is considered to circulate throughout the whole body and obstruct the flow of meridians and blood, causing various symptoms.
- 01
Neck · Low Back Pain, Sprain, Whiplash
The impact can damage the ligaments, muscles, and tendons of the neck and low back. The shoulders, back, arms, and legs may ache as if strained, feel numb, or develop pain that worsens at night or in bad weather. Whiplash Syndrome is an injury caused when the neck and low back bend sharply back and forth like a whip. In severe cases, it can lead to fractures, disc injury, or damage to the ligaments, muscles, or nerves around the spine.
- 02
Joint Pain · Muscle Pain
Even without a fracture, soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments are often damaged. Pain can develop from the wrist that was tightly gripping the steering wheel to the elbow and shoulder, or from the ankle that was pressing the brake to the knee and hip.
- 03
Neurologic and Psychiatric Symptoms
Excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system can cause headaches, dizziness, and decreased hearing or vision. Sensitivity, anxiety, insomnia, depression, and memory or cognitive difficulties may also occur, and because they can be difficult to detect in the initial diagnosis, ongoing observation is needed.
- 04
Internal Medicine Symptoms
The impact can cause fatigue, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, abnormal bleeding, menstrual irregularities, and other symptoms.
03WHY TREAT EARLY
Missing the acute phase can lead to chronic aftereffects
The recovery period after an accident can take as little as one month or more than 3 months. Usually, the period from the day of the accident to 2 days later through 3 weeks is called the acute phase, and this is the golden time for pain treatment. If this period is missed, recovery can slow and various chronic conditions may follow.
- Acute phase
- From the day of the accident to 2 days later through 3 weeks — the golden time for pain treatment
- Recovery period
- As little as one month, or more than 3 months
PROCESS
How Care Proceeds
- 01
Consultation · Pulse Diagnosis
We listen carefully to your symptoms, lifestyle habits, and treatment history, then assess your condition through pulse and tongue diagnosis.
- 02
Detailed Testing
We check organ function, energy level, and autonomic nervous system balance with tests suited to your condition.
- 03
Pattern Identification · Diagnosis
We combine your test results and constitution to find the underlying cause of your symptoms.
- 04
1:1 Customized Prescription
We design the needed treatments for each person, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and moxibustion.
- 05
Progress Management
We monitor your progress through regular tests and consultations and adjust prescriptions as needed.
04DIAGNOSIS
These tests are performed in traffic accident care
Even after the same accident, the pattern and degree of pain and symptoms differ from person to person. We first evaluate what treatment is needed, how long it may take, and how often you should receive care.
- TEST 01
Range of Motion (ROM) Assessment · Physical Examination
We look for the cause of pain by assessing the range in which the joints move and through various examination tests.
- TEST 02
Medical History Taking · Internal Medicine Evaluation
We listen closely to the accident circumstances and symptom changes, and also review other internal medicine issues and the circulation of qi and blood (氣血).
TEST 03Iris Genetic Constitution Test
We comprehensively assess constitutional strengths and weaknesses and autonomic nervous system balance to prepare for your future recovery course. This test can be done while wearing contact lenses.
- TEST 04
Ryodoraku Meridian Function Test
We check for abnormalities in organ function at major acupuncture points on the hands and feet, and assess overall energy level and the deficiency-excess (虛實) pattern of the condition.
TEST 05Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Autonomic Nervous System Test
We check the activity and balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. If the autonomic nervous system is disrupted, organ movement may become sluggish and the body may become more sensitive.
If you bring results from blood tests, X-rays, MRI, CT, or other tests when you visit, we can provide a more thorough evaluation. Please also provide your accident claim information when making an appointment (see the FAQ below).
05TREATMENT
Traffic Accident Aftereffects treatment is provided this way
We treat with the aim of balancing the body’s qi and blood, supporting circulation, and replenishing depleted energy. Depending on your condition, we combine acupuncture, moxibustion, pharmacopuncture, and other treatments, and also review lifestyle habits that may need to be corrected.
One-on-One Personalized Herbal Medicine
We prescribe after checking your constitution and current condition. Herbal medicine is used to remove blood stasis and damp phlegm (濕痰, stagnant fluids and phlegm) that cause pain, and to review the overall state of qi and blood to help reduce chronic pain and strengthen the musculoskeletal system. We recommend adding herbal medicine treatment in cases such as the following.
- Older adults
- People who already have chronic spinal or joint conditions
- People whose pain has worsened after the accident and who are under extreme stress
Acupuncture · Electroacupuncture
We use acupuncture together with electrical acupuncture to release muscle knots (induration) and support the recovery of damaged ligaments and nerves. We stimulate acupuncture points based on the musculoskeletal structure and relieve blocked qi and blood circulation to ease muscle tension.
Cupping
Cupping creates negative pressure to engorge local capillaries and help body fluids circulate well throughout the whole body. We perform both wet (bloodletting) and dry Cupping, choosing based on the pain pattern and body condition.
Pharmacopuncture · Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture
We inject a pharmacopuncture solution suited to your constitution and condition into acupuncture points or muscle reaction points, adding the action of pharmacopuncture to acupuncture treatment. It is mainly used for joint pain and muscle pain.
- Bee venom pharmacopuncture — After extracting and processing honeybee venom to remove allergy risk factors, it is applied intensively to inflamed joints and ligaments. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, blood circulation-promoting, and immune-modulating actions are known.
- Clearing heat (淸熱) pharmacopuncture — This pharmacopuncture helps relax muscle tension and reduce heat sensations, and is applied together to the muscles around the joints.
- Hominis placenta (紫河車) pharmacopuncture — This may be applied for chronic deficiency-type pain with low energy.
Chuna Manual Therapy
After a thorough diagnosis, we adjust the spine and surrounding tissues to correct misalignment. It helps balance the body and supports meridian communication and qi-blood circulation.
Physical Therapy
We select and apply Physical Therapy devices suited to your symptoms.
- Interferential current therapy (ICT) · Infrared (IR) — These help relax muscle tension and provide warming stimulation.
- Magnetic field laser — This stimulates deep into nerve and muscle tissue without pain.
- Microwave therapy — This warms deep areas with microwaves to increase blood flow.
- High frequency — This uses deep heat to increase blood flow, lymphatic circulation, and metabolism, helping reduce pain.
Side effects may occur after treatment procedures depending on the individual. Please proceed after sufficient consultation with the medical team, and be sure to check the precautions before and after the treatment procedure.
CONSULTATION
Consider a consultation before symptoms become long-standing
If you bring your test results, we will review your current condition together.
06EXPERTISE
Traffic accident care that looks at both body and mind
Pain · Traffic Accidents Clinic
4th-Generation Korean Medicine Doctor · Korean Medicine Internal Medicine Specialist
Dr. Hansung Ryu, Chief Director
- Specialist Training, Korean Medicine Cancer Center, Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital at Gangdong
- Training at a Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospital (Joslin Diabetes Center)
- Training at the Block Center (Integrative Cancer Center, USA)
- Researcher in the Development of Korean Medicine Standard Clinical Practice Guidelines for Cancer Symptom Relief
SkinDigestive SystemDiabetes · MetabolismConstitutional Immunity & CancerPain · Traffic Accidents
4th-Generation Married Korean Medicine Doctors · First Author of an SCI-Level Paper on Women’s Health
Dr. Seungwon Baek, Director
- Entered Sangji University College of Korean Medicine at the top of the class · Graduated salutatorian
- Master’s Program in Clinical Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University
- Specialist Training Program, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine (Facial Palsy Center · Spine and Joint Center), Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital at Gangdong
- Certified Korean Medicine Doctor in Korean Medicine Obesity Treatment
Women's HealthDiet & BeautyPediatricsFacial PalsyPain · Traffic Accidents
- All of our medical team trained at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital, and we draw on experience in gastroenterology, the acupuncture and moxibustion department’s spine and joint center, and the Korean medicine cancer center to diagnose various types of pain.
- From the perspective of a Korean medicine internal medicine specialist, we look not only at pain but also at internal medicine causes of accompanying symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, and digestive disorders.
- We carefully observe each patient’s physical and emotional condition and create a treatment plan tailored to each person’s pain and body condition.
WHY HOECHUNDANG
Why Choose Hoechundang Kyunghee Ryu Korean Medicine Clinic
- 01
For 4 Generations Since 1904
For 4 generations, we have carried on Hoechundang’s treatment principle of seeing the stomach and intestines as the foundation of health.
- 02
Family Medical Team from Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital
Dr. Bongha Ryu, Honorary Director, who twice served as director of Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital and as a presidential physician; Dr. Hansung Ryu, Chief Director, a Korean medicine internal medicine specialist; and Dr. Seungwon Baek, Director, first author of an SCI-level paper on women’s health, provide care together.
- 03
Prepared In-House at Our Herbal Medicine Research Lab
Based on the research of our affiliated Herbal Medicine Research Institute, we prepare prescriptions in-house and use verified herbal ingredients at a level supplied to Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital.
- 04
15 Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment Rooms
We expanded our treatment rooms so patients can receive a variety of treatments, such as acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, Cupping, large moxibustion, radiofrequency, thermal dome therapy, Chuna Manual Therapy, and traction therapy, with minimal waiting.
07FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhat should I do right after an accident?
To determine the cause of the accident and fault, stop at the scene, check the situation, and take photos of the accident site. Regardless of fault, file a claim with the insurance company before moving the vehicle. Check the other party’s license and insurance status, and keep the insurance claim number and contact information.
QWhat should I tell you when making an appointment at the Korean medicine clinic?
If you tell us the date of injury (accident date), bodily injury claim number, the other party’s insurance company name, and the adjuster’s contact information, we can arrange your appointment and registration in advance.
QHow is insurance handled?
After confirming with the insurance company, we will obtain the treatment fee payment guarantee letter for you. Please call us for details.
QI do not have pain right after the accident. Do I still need to be examined?
Pain after a traffic accident may appear suddenly over time or change location. It is a good idea to have your condition evaluated during the acute phase, from the day of the accident to 2 days later through 3 weeks.
QHow long does treatment take?
In general, a simple sprain may take about 2–3 weeks, while chronic pain may require care for 4 weeks or, in some cases, ongoing management. This varies by individual, and even if the pain has decreased, completing the full course of treatment can help reduce recurrence.
QAre there any side effects after the treatment procedure?
Depending on the individual, side effects may occur after the treatment procedure. Please proceed after a thorough consultation with your medical team, and be sure to review the precautions before and after the treatment procedure.
CONSULTATION
Consider a consultation before symptoms become long-standing
If you bring your test results, we will review your current condition together.
RELATED
Related Pain Conditions
RESERVATION
Traffic Accident Aftereffects:
start with a consultation
Leave your details and we will contact you in order during clinic hours. First-time visitors are welcome — we start by carefully understanding your current condition.
+82-2-792-1904- Mon · Tue · Wed · Thu09:30 – 19:30
- Fri09:30 – 18:30
- Sat09:30 – 14:30 (open without a lunch break)
- LunchWeekdays 13:30 – 14:30