Whiplash Injury

Recovery from soft tissue injuries requires several weeks to several months, passing through the inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases. This process is influenced by the body's blood flow, nutrition, and sleep status. Acupuncture is a local treatment with strengths in reducing pain and muscle tension, whereas herbal medicine is a systemic approach involved in anti-inflammation, blood flow improvement, and muscle relaxation. There are clinical studies reporting the pain-improving effects of herbal medicine treatment targeting blood stasis in traffic accident injuries. In Korean medicine, the treatment of trauma is fundamentally based on two approaches: external and internal. Stagnant blood resulting from an accident does not remain solely in the meridians but circulates throughout the body, potentially causing systemic symptoms such as sleep disorders, fatigue, and indigestion; this is a common pattern observed in patients whose recovery is slow with acupuncture alone. The underlying condition involves pain caused by blocked Qi and blood circulation, while those with reduced recovery capacity often suffer from a combination of deficiency in both Qi, blood, and overall vitality. Dongjedang's internal treatment does not simply involve the use of pain-relieving herbal medicine; instead, it follows a sequence of first clearing out accumulated stagnant blood, waste products, and toxins from the body, and then boosting recovery power with herbal medicine tailored to the individual's physical condition. Clinically, we confirm that supporting liver function to aid muscle and ligament recovery prolongs the effects of acupuncture treatment and reduces recurrence. If the injury is minor and there are no systemic symptoms, acupuncture alone is sufficient, so we honestly recommend a treatment based on an assessment of your condition.