Q How often should I visit the Korean medicine clinic? I am a busy office worker in my 30s.
A During the initial intensive treatment phase, visits 2 to 3 times a week are recommended. Once symptoms improve by more than 50%, the frequency is reduced to once a week, and then transitions to maintenance care once every two weeks. The basic treatment course usually takes 4 to 8 weeks, although the locking phase may require a longer period. Since there may be localized pain for 2 to 3 days after the needle acupuncture procedure, controlling hand usage before and after the procedure enhances effectiveness.
Detailed Answer
The treatment cycle for trigger finger is determined by the stage of the disease and the response to treatment. Generally, the process proceeds in the following order: ① Acute inflammatory phase (1–2 weeks): Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture 3 times a week → ② Adhesion release phase (3–6 weeks): Needle acupuncture + bee venom acupuncture 2 times a week → ③ Regeneration and strengthening phase (7–12 weeks): Thread embedding + herbal medicine 1 time a week. The interval between needle acupuncture procedures should be maintained at a minimum of 5 to 7 days to ensure sufficient time for tissue recovery. Since recovery is slower with lower visit frequency, we recommend intensive treatment during the first 2 to 4 weeks.
Perspective of a Korean Medicine Clinic
In Korean medicine, the treatment interval is the time required for Qi and blood to prepare to receive the next stimulus. Since it takes approximately 5 days for stagnant blood to be absorbed and new Qi and blood to circulate after acupuncture, an interval shorter than this actually results in excessive stimulation. Dongjedang operates an intensive Saturday treatment schedule for busy professionals and flexibly adjusts treatment plans using a combined approach of herbal medicine prescriptions and taping to maintain efficacy while reducing the number of visits.
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