The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 185

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 185

 

Walking through the neat and orderly streets typical of a new city district, I had been thinking since entering the Korean medicine clinic.

 

‘In urban areas like this, it’s better to provide treatments that heal quickly, even if the price per patient is a bit higher.’

 

A neighborhood with government offices, corporations, and several apartment complexes.

 

With many working patients, their financial situation tends to be good while they have little time to spare.

 

Therefore, they want accurate diagnosis and fast treatment, and young patients actually heal quite quickly.

 

Whether the treatment fee comes out to 8,000 won or 20,000 won, while the difference isn’t completely meaningless, it’s relatively less important.

 

This is the opposite of clinics located in markets where you need to keep treatment costs as low as possible and attract as many patients as frequently as possible.

 

In Korean medicine clinics serving mainly elderly demographics, you often see patients who just need acupuncture for their painful areas and want to feel less pain today. Since there are no breakthrough treatments for chronic pain conditions anyway, it’s right to approach them with a management concept.

 

If you rashly raise treatment fees to 2,400 won, you’ll see patients getting angry asking why this place is expensive when the neighboring clinic charges 1,900 won.

 

‘Doing the opposite would be quite difficult.’

 

In new city commercial districts, if you stick 50 needles wherever it hurts and blindly tell them to come back tomorrow, they won’t come.

 

If you grab an elderly person in the market district and explain about lumbar ligament sprains, they won’t listen, and if you tell them to prepay 400,000 won because they’ll get better after receiving 10 sessions of herbal injections plus chuna therapy, they’ll turn around and leave immediately.

 

“What kind of treatment style do you prefer?”

 

I had some guesses, but I asked Seon Nayeon first.

 

At first glance, there seemed to be no major problems, but she might have unexpected characteristics like Kim Chunsik.

 

“Treatment style, there’s nothing special. When patients come, I treat them kindly and perform acupuncture.”

 

She answered in a gentle tone.

 

She had exactly the trustworthy appearance and manner of speaking that comes to mind when you think of a middle-aged female Korean medicine doctor.

 

“What about treatments other than acupuncture?”

 

“I do moxibustion and cupping? I also have physical therapy equipment.”

 

“What about chuna therapy?”

 

When I asked about chuna therapy, Seon Nayeon showed reluctance.

 

“I’m working hard at it, but I don’t think I’m very good. Patients have mentioned several times that the director of the neighboring Korean medicine clinic does it better.”

 

“Ah? Do you think that’s objectively true too?”

 

“It’s true that he’s skilled, and I think my small build puts me at a physical disadvantage. I attend conferences and treat every patient who comes, but maybe because I’m getting older, my wrist joints aren’t good either.”

 

Ah.

 

If you use proper technique, you can apply body weight without damaging your joints, but until you adapt, you inevitably end up using your wrists.

 

And you can’t completely ignore physical factors.

 

Even Chu Miyoung has trouble with large male patients, and since Seon Nayeon’s height appears to be just over 150cm, it would be even more difficult for her.

 

“I understand that part. I’ll teach you techniques that can increase satisfaction and treatment rates while using less force. What about herbal injections?”

 

Unlike chuna therapy, it’s a technique where physical requirements have almost no influence.

 

In my personal opinion, herbal injections were the fastest way to simultaneously increase treatment speed and revenue.

 

While I can infuse energy into regular acupuncture needles, that’s not normally possible, so needle stimulation can be weak.

 

Then there are two methods: increasing frequency through repetition, or making each stimulation stronger, and herbal injections are used for the latter goal.

 

Just by injecting liquid, compressed nerve areas are released, and you can see the effects of herbal medicine at the same time.

 

‘Director Yu Gyeonghun in Jeju Island also became quite famous for herbal injection treatments.’

 

Our vice directors, as well as Kim Chunsik and Chu Miyoung, naturally recommend and treat with them when necessary.

 

“Well…”

 

But this time too, Seon Nayeon’s expression wasn’t very good.

 

“When I first opened my practice, I just did acupuncture, and there were hardly any clinics doing such things, you know? But now there’s almost no Korean medicine clinic without herbal injections, and apparently the previous director at this location was famous for herbal injections.”

 

“Oh, you don’t know how to administer them at all?”

 

“The first few times, a patient who had been treated by the previous director came once and didn’t return, so I went looking for lectures. I also asked acquaintances to teach me. …But it’s difficult to apply immediately.”

 

It seemed she had tried various approaches she could do on her own.

 

“Oh, but you said first opening? How many times have you opened a practice?”

 

I suddenly felt something odd while mulling over what Seon Nayeon had said.

 

When she made the inquiry, she only mentioned that this opening wasn’t going well, but she had opened a practice before?

 

“This is the second time. I opened right after working as a vice director for one year after graduation.”

 

“That was over ten years ago, right.”

 

“Yes, yes. Back then, it was fine to just do acupuncture. The clinic did quite well too. But my child was too hyperactive and wouldn’t listen to grandmother or housekeepers at all… I couldn’t possibly leave him in others’ hands, so I closed the clinic. After being away from the industry for over 10 years, when I returned, so much had changed contrary to my expectations.”

 

“Ah, so that was the situation.”

 

“At this age, there’s nowhere to get employed, and since I had experience opening a practice before, I took over this place near home. But, sigh… the competition is too fierce, and I don’t know what to do.”

 

Medicine has trends too, and Korean medicine continues to develop and improve treatment methods.

 

Competition has intensified in all job sectors, so how could our industry alone escape it?

 

It’s not easy to survive doing exactly the same things as 10 years ago.

 

“If you’ll excuse me asking, what money did you use for the premium over 100 million won…?”

 

“My husband is a dentist. He readily provided the money, telling me to secure a good location even if the premium was high, but I feel so ashamed.”

 

I roughly understood what had happened.

 

If she was going to focus mainly on acupuncture treatment, it might have been better to open in a commercial area serving mainly elderly patients, even if the commute was longer.

 

Along with her husband’s influence as another medical professional, she probably also hesitated to commute far from home because of childcare.

 

Since a considerable amount of money went into it, she can’t move now.

 

“Things will be different soon. You’ve made a lot of effort to adapt, and you contacted me like this. I’ll help you handle herbal injections as well as the previous director.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Let’s also find other weapons you can specialize in. There must be something Director Seon can do better than the surrounding Korean medicine clinics.”

 

Seon Nayeon looked doubtful that such a thing existed, but I was quite good at this sort of thing.

 

Not only do I advise clinic directors to focus on gaining experience in such areas, but I’m also quite good at finding the strengths and weaknesses of martial artists, right?

 

If I can’t find any? I’ll create them.

 

Even Kim Chunsik became able to provide kind treatment!

 

At least with just acupuncture injections done well, I should be able to make a living.

 

“Then please take care of me for today.”

 

“I should be the one asking you to take care of me.”

 

And so the one-day observation began.

 

Fortunately, perhaps because the location was good, quite a few new patients came in.

 

“Hello, what brings you here today?”

 

“My back hurts.”

 

“How long has it been, and what’s it like?”

 

“It’s been quite a while. My entire lower back aches dully.”

 

After conducting routine physical examinations, Seon Nayeon thoroughly checked the pulse despite this being a musculoskeletal patient.

 

“The erector spinae muscles are stiff and there’s also kidney deficiency. I’ll focus on loosening the muscles that are causing pain, mainly the erector spinae, while strengthening the qi and blood flow to the lower back through distal point selection.”

 

Overall, the treatment was decent.

 

Since it was a patient in their 30s, they might have preferred hearing only about muscles, but the patient was actually thin and deficient, showing kidney deficiency symptoms. The pulse would have been even clearer.

 

“I’ll proceed with acupuncture treatment.”

 

The acupuncture was well administered too.

 

It was a selection that combined anatomy-based muscle treatment with Saam acupuncture method.

 

‘Not bad.’

 

Since it was a deficiency syndrome patient, it would have been better to speak more persuasively to make them come regularly, but there would definitely be improvement.

 

‘Looking at it that way, young patients all think they’re cured and don’t come back…’

 

Perhaps because of this, the ratio of follow-up patients to new patients was definitely lower compared to the other vice directors.

 

“Oh my, what brings you here for herbal medicine consultation today?”

 

Luckily on the observation day, a patient who wanted to get herbal medicine came in.

 

Watching an herbal medicine consultation would give me more areas to advise on.

 

“My energy keeps draining away, so I came to get some tonic medicine.”

 

Consulting with a patient who had such a clear purpose was quite easy.

 

Seon Nayeon listened to all the symptoms and.

 

“I’ll first tonify the spleen qi deficiency to restore digestive function, and prescribe something that will also help with energy recovery.”

 

She made an appropriate diagnosis from a traditional Korean medicine perspective.

 

“Please take good care of me.”

 

The son accompanying the elderly female patient left the examination room satisfied.

 

‘Hmm.’

 

It’s not bad, really.

 

But it’s lacking about 2%… no, about 10%.

 

‘One month of treatment won’t cure this!’

 

The patient would be satisfied with taking something good for their body anyway, and the son would be satisfied with having shown filial piety to his mother.

 

But treating such a long-term patient for just one month, while there would definitely be improvement, it would be difficult for changes the patient could feel to appear.

 

If it were me, I would have dragged them into taking it continuously for at least 3 months, showing them definite changes!

 

“How’s your ankle? Is there any difference from yesterday?”

 

“Ah, yes. It’s comfortable to walk now.”

 

“Try running a bit, and if it doesn’t hurt, we can end the treatment.”

 

Patients with sprained ankles or muscle cramps were fine with routine treatment.

 

Seon Nayeon was confident too, and patients were satisfied with gradual improvement each visit.

 

‘Her acupuncture skills are definitely decent.’

 

I also observed one patient who regularly received acupuncture injections for disc treatment, and the technique itself wasn’t bad.

 

‘Ah, it would be better to support with the left hand…’

 

I couldn’t give advice with the patient in front of us, so I just watched quietly.

 

There was no problem with inserting needles in the necessary positions, but it seemed she wasn’t quite used to it yet.

 

‘There are no critical problems, but it’s too routine or slightly disappointing. It would be good if just one clear strength showed.’

 

If this were a neighborhood oriental medicine clinic centered around residential areas, this level of treatment would have been fine.

 

With high foot traffic comes fierce competition and high expenses like rent, so something more was needed.

 

‘Something, just one irreplaceable advantage…’

 

Just as I was thinking that.

 

“Waaaahhhhh!”

 

A young child was dragged into the examination room, almost being held captive by their mother.

 

3 years old? 4 years old?

 

“Waaaahhh! Waahhh!”

 

The child started crying for no reason as soon as they entered.

 

“Oh my, I’m sorry, Doctor. This child is a bit scared of getting acupuncture.”

 

“Waaaahhhhh! I want to go home!”

 

“Hey! You can’t cry in the hospital!”

 

“Waaaahhhhh!”

 

“If you do well with your treatment today, I’ll buy you tanghulu on the way home! Our Minho, you did so well with your shot last time, didn’t you?”

 

“Waaahhh!”

Oh my…

“He fell while playing at kindergarten yesterday, and got a terrible bruise. I thought he might have sprained his wrist too, so I brought him thinking acupuncture might help.”

 

“I don’t want to! I’m fine!”

The child’s guardian gave up on comforting the child and started explaining the symptoms first.

“He tends to exaggerate, but once he gets the treatment, he’ll be fine. I’ll go into the treatment room with him to comfort him. I’m sorry for causing trouble.”

The guardian was apologetic but had a firm resolve to get the child treated somehow.

Indeed, if there was a wrist sprain, it would be better to receive acupuncture treatment rather than just waiting for natural recovery.

“It’s fine. It’s understandable to be scared.”

Even Hwang Sanghun and Lee Ahreum, when they first encountered such scenes, were perplexed about whether to comply with the guardian’s request or calm the child down.

Seon Nayeon wasn’t flustered at all by the sight of the crying child.

Rather, she smiled as if she found this situation very comfortable.

“There, there. Stop. We won’t do anything scary.”

It wasn’t that she persuaded with great eloquence.

Nor did she make the child laugh with amazing jokes.

Seon Nayeon simply held the child’s hand quietly and made eye contact.

“…”

But surprisingly, the crying gradually subsided.

The child who had been wailing as if squeezing out tears quietly looked at Seon Nayeon and blinked.

This is it.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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