"Aftereffects of Traffic Accidents, Recovery Accelerated When Combined with Herbal Medicine Treatment"

Reduced Sequelae Scale and More Confirmed After Integrative Korean Medicine Treatment Combined with Herbal Medicine

A study has presented results showing that when receiving integrative Korean medicine treatment for sequelae of traffic accidents, combining it with herbal medicine treatment yields more effective outcomes.

A patient taking herbal medicine. [Photo by Jaseng Oriental Medicine Hospital]

The research team led by Korean medicine doctor Hwang Bo-kyung at the Spine and Joint Research Institute of Jaseng Korean Medicine Hospital announced on the 27th that they confirmed this through a clinical study evaluating the efficacy of herbal medicine treatment for traffic accident sequelae. The research paper was published in the February issue of the SCI(E)-level journal 'Healthcare (IF=3.16)'.

The research team targeted 40 outpatients who visited Bucheon Jaseng Korean Medicine Hospital for sequelae of traffic accidents from July 2021 to May 2022, with a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) score of 5 or higher despite more than 8 weeks having passed since the traffic accident. Patients whose pain was caused by pre-existing or chronic diseases unrelated to the traffic accident were excluded. The NRS is a scale that expresses the patient's subjective symptom severity as an objective number from 0 to 10, with higher numbers indicating more severe symptoms.

The research team analyzed treatment effects by dividing patients who received integrative Korean medicine treatment for traffic accident sequelae into a herbal medicine treatment group and a control group that did not receive herbal prescriptions. Although integrative Korean medicine treatment usually includes herbal prescriptions, the groups were separated for precise analysis of treatment effects. Indicators used to evaluate the efficacy of herbal medicine treatment included ▲NRS for overall traffic accident sequelae symptoms ▲NRS for musculoskeletal pain ▲Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version (IES-R-K) for post-traumatic stress.

The group treated with herbal medicine showed a greater reduction in post-traffic accident sequelae, musculoskeletal pain NRS, and post-accident stress (IES-R-K) indicators compared to the untreated control group.
[Photo by Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine]

As a result, the control group (no herbal medicine) showed decreases in overall traffic accident sequelae and musculoskeletal pain NRS scores from 6.3 and 7.0 before treatment to 4.61 and 4.82 at 5 weeks after treatment, respectively, whereas the herbal medicine treatment group showed better results, decreasing from 6.3 and 6.8 to 2.83 and 3.15. Analysis of neurological symptoms, psychiatric symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and systemic symptoms caused by the traffic accident also showed significant improvement in the herbal medicine treatment group compared to the control group. The IES-R-K score decreased from 20 to 15.46 in the control group, while it dropped more sharply from 27.3 to 9.7 in the herbal medicine treatment group. This indicates that combining herbal medicine treatment yields superior effects in treating traffic accident sequelae.

The improvement in the herbal medicine treatment group became even more pronounced during follow-up observation up to 17 weeks after treatment. The NRS scores for overall traffic accident sequelae and musculoskeletal pain decreased to mild levels of 1.62 and 1.95. Particularly, the IES-R-K score improved dramatically to 3.07, which is about one-ninth of the pre-treatment level (27.3). The research team interpreted this as evidence dispelling the misconception that herbal medicine prescribed to traffic accident patients is merely for body tonification, demonstrating its excellent therapeutic effect on accident sequelae.

Hwang Bo-kyung, Oriental Medicine Doctor. [Photo by Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine]

Korean medicine doctor Hwang Bo-kyung said, "This study is significant as a clinical study objectively proving the various treatment effects on traffic accident sequelae depending on whether herbal medicine treatment is combined with integrative Korean medicine treatment," adding, "After the revision of the standard automobile insurance policy this year, it can serve as important evidence to help patients with traffic accident sequelae who face difficulties in exploring treatment options when making treatment decisions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.