Q. Why is it possible to receive diet herbal medicine prescriptions remotely even if I live in a small provincial city?

To be honest, I was initially skeptical about telemedicine. However, after working with many cases, I realized that the core of diet herbal medicine is consistent monitoring and prescription adjustment. From a Western medical perspective, obesity is a matter of caloric imbalance and hormonal issues, but in Traditional Korean Medicine, it is mainly seen as due to Spleen Deficiency (脾虛) and accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮). When the spleen function weakens, water metabolism becomes impaired, and this accumulation leads to weight gain. To understand this pathology, we need detailed information about diet, bowel movements, body temperature sensations, tongue color and coating (苔), etc. These can all be adequately observed via video call. In fact, an advantage is that patients can speak in a comfortable environment. The downside is that direct pulse taking or abdominal diagnosis (腹診) is not possible, but we improve diagnostic accuracy by having patients send tongue and abdominal photos in advance. Also, after the initial consultation, we conduct follow-up remote sessions every 2-3 weeks to check progress. We have set up a system so that people living in regional areas can receive the same level of care as those in Seoul, so please feel free to inquire. (However, if there is acute edema or serious symptoms, we recommend an in-person visit.)