My First Korean Medicine Experience at Tong-In Clinic
Vieve
4 days ago
I'll be honest, I wasn't totally sure what to expect walking into a Korean medicine clinic for the first time. I'd heard bits and pieces about traditional treatments but nothing could have prepared me for how comprehensive, personal and genuinely lovely the whole experience would be.
Tong-In is super easy to find and incredibly foreigner friendly. Not everyone speaks English but it genuinely didn't matter, the communication was seamless regardless. The doctor and several nurses had impeccable English and honestly every single person in that clinic was so warm and smiley and accommodating. I immediately felt completely at ease.
🔍 The Postural Scan
Before anything else, I was offered the option to do a full body postural alignment scan. I said yes immediately and I'm so glad I did. It's a 3D body mapping system that photographs you from the front, side and back and analyses everything, your shoulder alignment, hip tilt, spinal curvature and even something called "turtle neck" (forward head posture, which apparently is incredibly common, especially for anyone who spends a lot of time on their phone or at a desk). Seeing the results on screen was genuinely fascinating and made everything that followed make so much more sense.
💬 The Consultation
After the scan the doctor sat down with me properly and talked through everything he could see and what he recommended. This is where Korean medicine really sets itself apart for me. It's not a one size fits all approach. Everything is completely tailored to you and your body specifically. He recommended a full treatment plan based on my results and we got started.
💉 Pharmacopuncture (Herbal Acupuncture)
The first treatment was pharmacopuncture, which sounds scarier than it is! It involves injecting sterilised herbal medicine directly into specific points on the body, in my case my shoulder and hip. The idea is that the herbal ingredients work directly on the problem area to reduce inflammation and promote healing. I felt pressure rather than pain, and it was over quickly.
⚡ Electroacupuncture and Cupping
Next came a combination of cupping and electroacupuncture. Cupping uses suction to promote blood circulation and release tension in the muscles and fascia. The electroacupuncture involves fine acupuncture needles being placed at specific points, with a gentle electrical current running through them to stimulate the nerves and muscles. I have endometriosis so I use TENS machines regularly, so the electric element felt very familiar to me. Honestly, I nearly fell asleep.
🔥 Moxibustion
After that a soothing ointment was applied and then came one of my favourite parts, moxibustion. A wooden box filled with burning moxa (dried mugwort herb) was placed on my stomach and the gentle radiant heat just seeps into your body. It promotes circulation and warms the body from within. It was deeply relaxing and I absolutely could have drifted off completely.
💆 Chuna Therapy
Then came Chuna. This is Korean traditional manipulation therapy, similar in some ways to chiropractic treatment. The doctor works with his hands to correct structural imbalances, realign the spine and release tension in the muscles. He did warn me I could scream if I needed to! I didn't, but I have endo so my pain threshold is a little different from most people's. Even so I could feel exactly how much work he was doing on my body. It was intense but in the best possible way.
🍵 The Prescription
At the end of the session the doctor prescribed me 7 days of personalised herbal medicine to support my digestion and help warm my extremities. In Korean medicine, cold hands and feet and digestive issues are often connected and treated together, which I found really interesting, especially as someone with endo where circulation and inflammation are such big factors.
And then, as if the whole experience wasn't lovely enough already, they gifted me the most adorable little mirror on the way out with "reflect on wellness with K-medicine" on the back. I nearly melted.
✨ Final Thoughts
The whole session was surprisingly relaxing, which is something I say a lot about Korean treatments. I felt incredible afterwards. Yes I was sore the next day (Chuna will do that to you!) but it's the good kind of sore, the kind that tells you something real has shifted.
If you're even slightly curious about Korean medicine, Tong-In is the perfect place to start. The care, the personalisation and the warmth of everyone there is just unmatched. I booked through Creatrip as part of the Membership trial and the whole process was seamless from start to finish. Already thinking about when I can come back.
