Experience meets Innovation

Dr. Il Suk Sohn recalls several patients who visited his hospital in Seoul earlier this year, seeking treatment for their back pain. “They came in hopes of receiving surgery for their condition,” says the head of KUIMS International Healthcare Center. “[However] after receiving a full diagnostic review of their case with our surgeons, it was found they were not candidates for surgery.”

But there was another option for the patients. “The consulting doctor, instead of sending them away, recommended visiting our Oriental medicine acupuncturists and rehabilitation medicine departments,” says Sohn. Where conventional surgical methods could not help, integrated medicine succeeded. “In these cases, the patients found relief from their pain,” Sohn reports.

With success stories like these, it’s no wonder that interest in integrated medicine — where conventional and alternative medical treatments are used in combination — is on the rise. South Korea has emerged as a hub for this model of health care, drawing patients near and far who seek to utilize the benefits of both Western medicine and traditional Korean medicine (TKM).

TKM has built its reputation over time and experience, drawing on rich Korean history spanning several thousands of years. It takes a holistic approach to wellness, regarding the human body as a micro-universe that relies on balance and harmony between the complementary forces that exist in all matter (the dualistic yin and yang principle). All bodily organs have an energy force that is referred to as gi. Disease and manifesting symptoms are seen as signs of disruption of this force.

TKM aims to restore balance of gi through treatment such as herbal remedies, acupuncture or moxibustion, a technique also used to stimulate blood circulation that involves applying heat to the body with a stick or cone of burning mugwort herb. Another method of treatment is chuna manual therapy, which involves manipulation of soft tissue and joints. TKM has been used in modern Korean society for a range of conditions, including degenerative skeletal and joint problems, infertility and allergic rhinitis, as well as for overall lifestyle improvements to prevent diseases.

In more recent times, Korean medical centres specializing in TKM have moved toward a model of integrated medicine, seeking to benefit from both the insights of an ancient healing system and the scientific advances of Western medicine, including the use of the latest technology. The multi-specialty university hospital KUIMS is among those who have spearheaded this comprehensive approach. “This has been an ongoing process within Kyung Hee University for several decades,” says Sohn. “It came to fruition with the opening of our new hospital in 2006, which has several integrated treatment centres.”

Integrated medicine is used in a number of specialties, including stroke prevention and rehabilitation, arthritis, rheumatism and chronic pain. Another major area is the treatment of spinal disease without invasive surgery. The Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine in Seoul specializes in non-surgical spine treatment, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound to improve its diagnostic and treatment capabilities.

 Like TKM, integrated medicine takes a holistic approach to health and healing, including prevention and lifestyle changes. “Integrated medicine covers all aspects of patient care; most importantly it helps patients maintain a healthy lifestyle,” says Sohn.

A GLOBAL REACH
Integrated medicine, already popular among Koreans, is now attracting an increasing number of “medical tourists” to the East. With costs and access to health care as limiting factors, many are looking to options outside of their own country. “The integrated medicine model is gaining interest around the world, and we have many foreign visitors seek out our centre to learn from our example [after] they have read or heard about the benefits of integrated medicine,” says Sohn. “The overall percentage is quite small, but the numbers are growing.” Many of KUIM’s foreign patients are from Russia and Mongolia, or of Korean descent, he says.

Thomas P. from Canada came to KUIM to treat his chronic shoulder pain. Along with the attraction of shorter waiting times compared to Canada, he was persuaded to seek treatment in South Korea after reading about integrated medicine on the Internet. “I learned that Korea has a well-developed model for integrative treatment,” he says.

Following a consultation with the staff at KUIM, Thomas underwent treatment from an acupuncturist in the hospital’s spine centre.  He says the process was stress-free. “I wasn’t nervous at all.  I saw two specialists on my first day of treatment.  They recommended a treatment course and I followed it to its completion,” he says.

Thomas describes his experience in South Korea as “very good” and says he would recommend it to friends and family. During his three-week stay in the country, he enjoyed the sights in Seoul and even visited to the coastal city of Gyeongju between treatments. Since returning, Thomas and the hospital have exchanged emails to follow his condition, which he is happy to say has improved since the treatment. “I was able to treat the pain related to my problem and also reduce the chance of reoccurrence,” he says.

Growing international interest in traditional medicine has been followed by academic support. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established two WHO Collaborating Centres for Traditional Medicine in Seoul. The East-West Medical Research Institute at Kyung Hee University works with the WHO to develop “a workable unified medical care system” harmonizing Eastern and Western medicine. Meanwhile, the Natural Products Research Institute at Seoul National University looks at standardizing traditional processing methods for herbal materials and harmonizing various regulations on quality control for traditional medicines, among other issues.

Sohn says integrated medicine presents a valuable alternative to conventional health care. “It provides patient with a more holistic approach to medical treatment; it also provides them with a choice,” he says. “It is very important that we can give treatment options to every patient.” •

Natural Healing: 
Sound Mind Sound Body

During the 2002 World Cup, held jointly in South Korea and Japan, the Korean government was looking for ways to accommodate the influx of international visitors. Head monks from several temples around the country had a solution: opening up their temples as a place for travellers to eat and sleep, and more than that, to learn about Korean Buddhist culture first-hand. So the concept of the “temple stay” was born.

A temple stay is a cultural experience program that encourages participants to find their “true self” through spiritual training in a natural setting. Over several days, in temples often located deep in the mountains, they follow the same daily rituals as monks living there — including waking up at 3 a.m. each morning — and take part in special lectures and activities.

The program includes devotional chanting at a solemn ceremonial service known as yebul, which is held three times a day with the aim of helping to clear one’s mind; zen meditation, or chamseon, which involves both a sitting-style and a walking-style meditation; communal Buddhist meal service, or balwoo gongyang, in which meals are eaten in total silence; and a relaxing tea ceremony known as dahdoh.

The Korea Times reported in 2009 that a total of 87 temples throughout the country were offering temple stay programs. Of the 110,000 visitors who participated in temple stays in 2008 — a 36% jump from the previous year — 20,000 of them were foreigners.

For more information, visit eng.templestay.com.