Korean medicine: what international patients should know

What does Korean medicine cover?

It covers a group of traditional treatments given after a consultation and examination by a Korean medicine doctor. Visitors most often come across acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion and Chuna manual therapy.

How is Korean medicine regulated?

Korean medicine doctors are licensed medical professionals in Korea, with a license separate from that of doctors of Western medicine. Look for treatment from a licensed Korean medicine doctor at a medical institution, not from a spa or a wellness shop.

Hospitals that treat foreign patients as medical tourists must be registered under Korean law. Ask a Korean medicine clinic about its registration in the same way you would ask any other hospital.

Massage, spa programs and herbal products sold in shops are not the same thing as treatment by a Korean medicine doctor. If you are not sure which one you are booking, ask who will treat you and what license that person holds.

• Ask whether the person treating you is a licensed Korean medicine doctor.
• Ask whether the clinic is registered to treat foreign patients.
• Ask for the diagnosis, the treatment plan and any herbal prescription in writing.

How long should you stay, and is one visit enough?

One visit is enough for a consultation and a first treatment, but Korean medicine is often planned as a course of visits. Ask how many visits the doctor suggests and how far apart, and decide whether that fits your trip before you start.

• If your stay is short, ask what can reasonably be done in that time and what cannot.
• If herbal medicine is prepared for you, ask how long the preparation takes and whether you can collect it before you leave.
• Before you carry herbal medicine across a border, check your home country's rules on bringing in medicines and plant products.
• If you are also having surgery or another procedure in Korea, tell both doctors and ask about timing.

What should you ask a Korean medicine clinic before you book?

Ask who will treat you, what the treatment involves, what any herbal medicine contains and how it fits with treatment you already receive. Get the plan and the cost in writing.

• Is the person who will treat me a licensed Korean medicine doctor?
• What treatment do you suggest for my concern, and how many visits does it involve?
• What are the ingredients of the herbal medicine, and can I have the list in English?
• Could the treatment interact with my medicines or conditions, for example blood thinners, pregnancy, or liver or kidney disease?
• What side effects are possible, and what should I do if they appear?
• What is the total cost, including the consultation, treatments and herbal medicine?
• Is the clinic registered to treat foreign patients?

What does a typical Korean medicine visit look like?

A visit starts with a detailed consultation and an examination, then the doctor explains a plan, and treatment often begins the same day. You can ask what each treatment involves before it is given, and you can decline any part of it.

1. Consultation: you describe your concern, medical history, allergies, current medicines and supplements.
2. Examination: the doctor may check your pulse, look at your tongue, press on parts of the body and ask about sleep, digestion and daily habits.
3. Plan: the doctor explains the suggested treatments, the number of visits and the cost.
4. Treatment: acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion or manual therapy is given in a treatment room.
5. Prescription and advice: herbal medicine is prescribed if needed, with instructions on how to take it and what to avoid.

Before any treatment begins, tell the doctor if you are pregnant, take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder or have a pacemaker.

How do you continue care once you are home?

Take a written record of what you received and tell your regular doctor about it, especially if you are taking herbal medicine. Do not replace treatment prescribed at home with Korean medicine without talking to both doctors.

• Keep the ingredient list of any herbal medicine and show it to your doctor or pharmacist at home.
• Stop the herbal medicine and see a doctor if you notice a rash, stomach trouble, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or other unexpected symptoms.
• Ask how the clinic handles questions from abroad, for example through a messaging app or email, and in which language.
• Keep receipts and the written plan. You may need them for follow-up care or a complaint.
• If you want to continue acupuncture or similar treatment at home, check how practitioners are licensed in your country.