Inpatient Treatment for Traffic Accident Aftereffects
Table of Contents
Advantages of inpatient care under automobile insurance
For traffic accident aftereffects, inpatient treatment at a Korean medicine clinic is fully covered under automobile insurance (Automobile Compensation Act). Since there is no out-of-pocket cost for the patient, you can focus solely on intensive treatment for an adequate period. Being admitted from the acute phase right after the accident is highly helpful in preventing chronicity.
Intensive management of the neck, lower back, and whole body
The impact of a traffic accident is concentrated on the neck (cervical spine) and lower back (lumbar spine), but in reality the shoulders, upper back, pelvis, and knees are also affected throughout the body. During inpatient care, cervical chuna manipulation (頸椎 推拿) and lumbar chuna are performed daily, and placenta pharmacopuncture (자하거약침, 紫河車藥鍼) is applied to the areas where damage is concentrated according to the direction of impact. Needle-knife (do-chim, 刀鍼) therapy is also combined to release whole-body myofascial tension.
Length of stay and treatment schedule
For minor rear-end collisions, about 1 week of admission is recommended; for moderate or higher severity, around 2 weeks. The first 3 days after the accident focus on acute-phase treatment (reducing edema and pain), and the subsequent period focuses on functional recovery and normalization of joint range of motion (ROM).
Insurance procedure
The documents required for admission are the traffic accident certificate and the insurance claim number. Since the clinic bills the insurance company directly, the patient only needs to focus on treatment. Upon discharge, a follow-up outpatient treatment plan is also provided.
- Insurance coverage: Full coverage by automobile insurance — 0 out-of-pocket cost
- Length of stay: 1 week for mild / 2 weeks for moderate
- Key treatments: Cervical and lumbar chuna, placenta pharmacopuncture, needle-knife therapy
- Required documents: Traffic accident certificate, insurance claim number