K-ClinicKorea Pain Clinic First Visit: 6 Things to Prepare (Dr.Google)
At Dr.Google Pain Medicine in Anyang, the first visit consists of a consultation, a physical exam and imaging, and treatment can be given the same day if it is suitable. To make it efficient, prepare 6 answers: where, how long and how it hurts; the date and location of any shingles outbreak; any weakness or bladder/bowel control problems; MRI, CT or X-ray done at home; current medications (especially blood thinners and painkillers); and how many days you will stay in Korea. Send these through the website before you travel so the doctor can check whether your schedule is enough.
What happens at a first pain clinic visit in Korea?
At Dr.Google Pain Medicine, the first visit consists of a consultation, a physical exam and imaging to identify the source of your pain; treatment can be given the same day if it is suitable. From the first visit and tests to follow-up after treatment, everything is handled personally by Director Koo Jae-won (구재원), MD, PhD, a specialist in anesthesiology and pain medicine.
The consultation comes first. How you describe your pain and what you bring directly affect which tests the doctor orders and whether you can be treated that day. The most wasteful thing for a traveler is sitting in the exam room and only then trying to remember "which day did it start?"
The 6 questions below are put together by K-Clinic from the information the clinic asks for and its treatment explanations. Prepare your answers and send them to us through this website, and the doctor can review them before you leave home.
Question 1: Where does it hurt, for how long, and how?
Describe the pain specifically, including what it feels like. In the clinic's materials, typical descriptions differ a lot by condition:
- Postherpetic neuralgia: the blisters have healed but it still hurts, feels like needles or burning, keeps you awake at night, and hurts when clothing touches the skin.
- Lumbar disc herniation: pain runs from the lower back to the buttock and leg, gets worse when sitting for long or coughing, with weakness in the ankle or toes.
- Cervical disc herniation: stiff, aching neck and shoulders, pain inside the shoulder blade, numbness in the arm and fingers, and dropping things easily.
You do not need to work out which one you have. Just state clearly where it hurts, how long it has lasted, when it gets worse and what it feels like. Finger numbness can also be carpal tunnel syndrome or an elbow nerve problem, which the doctor must examine to tell apart.
Question 2: When did your shingles start, and where?
If you have shingles (herpes zoster), the date it began and its location are information the clinic specifically asks for. Shingles is not just a skin problem: the virus damages nerves, and depending on where it appears, referral to ophthalmology or ENT is arranged when needed.
If you cannot remember, check photos of the blisters on your phone or receipts from your doctor visit at home. You can usually find the date there.
Question 3: Do you have weakness, worsening numbness or bladder/bowel problems?
You must mention this yourself. The clinic explains that disc herniation is judged from the MRI, symptoms and any loss of muscle strength, and that without progressive paralysis or bladder/bowel control problems, non-surgical treatment can usually be considered first.
In other words, these answers affect the treatment direction. Tell the doctor if you cannot put strength into your ankle or toes, drop things easily, or the numb area keeps spreading.
Questions 4–6: Imaging, medications and length of stay
Question 4 | Imaging: Bring MRI, CT or X-ray images or records from home on a disc or as files. Send us the report text before you leave so the doctor can look at it in advance.
Question 5 | Current medications: Tell the clinic about them in advance, especially blood thinners and painkillers. The doctor needs to know this before any injection treatment.
Question 6 | Length of stay: The number of pain treatments varies by person, and follow-up treatment is sometimes needed. Tell us how many days you will stay, and the doctor will confirm whether that is enough before you book your return flight.
What happens after same-day treatment?
When same-day treatment is suitable, Dr.Google uses C-arm imaging to confirm the nerve and treatment position, and approaches the source of pain with an ultra-fine MTS microneedle. Steroids are used only after careful consideration based on your condition, and are avoided in principle. Most people can walk on the same day, and can rest in the day ward on the 8th floor for 6 hours or more before returning to their accommodation; 24-hour hospitalization is also available if continued observation is needed.
Opening hours: Mon and Fri 09:30–20:00, Tue 14:30–20:00, Wed 09:30–19:00, Sat 09:30–14:00; closed Thursday and Sunday. The address is Downtown Building, 214 Simin-daero, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do (treatment rooms on the 7th floor, ward on the 8th floor), about a 5-minute walk from Beomgye Station on Subway Line 4, with parking in the building.
Common questions from international visitors
Q. Can I go directly if I have not had an MRI at home?
You can ask. The first visit includes imaging, but which tests are needed is decided by the doctor, so please tell us your symptoms first through the website.
Q. What if I cannot explain my pain in Korean?
Write out the answers to the 6 questions in English and send them to us, and we will relay them to the doctor.
Q. Will I definitely be treated on the first day?
Not necessarily. Same-day treatment is possible when suitable, and the doctor decides based on the consultation and test results.
Q. How much does it cost?
The clinic does not publish its prices, so please confirm the cost during your consultation.
Book Dr.Google Pain Medicine through K-Clinic
Once your 6 answers are ready, use the "Request booking" button or the live chat on this website for a free consultation through K-Clinic.
Please send us where and how it hurts, how long it has lasted, the date your shingles began, any weakness or bladder/bowel problems, imaging reports from home, your current medications and how many days you will stay in Korea. We will relay everything to the doctor, confirm whether your schedule is enough, and arrange your visit to avoid Thursdays and Sundays.
The number of pain treatments varies by person, and actual treatment depends on the examination results.
Frequently asked questions
What happens at a first visit to a pain clinic in Korea?
At Dr.Google Pain Medicine, the first visit includes a consultation, a physical exam and imaging to identify the source of your pain. If suitable, treatment can be given the same day, and you can rest in the day ward for 6 hours or more before returning to your accommodation.
What should I bring to a Korean pain clinic on my first visit?
Bring your MRI, CT or X-ray images or medical records from home on a disc or as files. Tell the clinic about the medications you take, especially blood thinners and painkillers. If you have shingles, tell them the date it began and where it appeared.
Which symptoms should I tell the doctor about at a Korean pain clinic?
Mention weakness in the ankle or toes, dropping things easily, numbness that keeps getting worse, or any loss of bladder or bowel control. The clinic explains that without progressive paralysis or bladder/bowel control problems, non-surgical treatment can usually be considered first, so these answers affect the treatment plan.
How do I describe finger numbness to a pain doctor in Korea?
Say exactly which fingers are numb and whether you also have neck or shoulder pain or arm numbness. Finger numbness can come from the cervical spine, carpal tunnel syndrome or an elbow nerve problem, and a doctor needs to examine you to tell them apart.
Clinics in this article
About 5 min walk from Beomgye Station (Line 4)
