Q. I live near Asan; is it okay to get diet herbal medicine through a remote consultation instead of visiting the clinic in person? Who would you recommend this for?

I completely understand the struggle; the commute from Asan to Seoul alone can be exhausting. As someone who values efficiency, I always strive to minimize the time and effort my patients have to spend traveling. I recommend remote prescriptions for two main groups: those who have experience with diet herbal medicine and already understand their own constitution, and busy professionals who need urgent help with appetite control but cannot take time off work. However, from a Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) perspective, there are critical factors to consider. For instance, those with Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo, 脾虛), characterized by very weak digestive function, require meticulously adjusted herbal concentrations. Similarly, if there is a severe accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (Dam-eum, 痰飮) or Blood Stasis (Eo-hyeol, 瘀血) hindering circulation, a direct pulse diagnosis is far more accurate for assessing the state of Qi and Blood. In summary: if you have a standard constitution and a busy lifestyle, feel free to start with a remote consultation. If you suffer from chronic swelling or have a sensitive digestive system, I suggest visiting once for your initial consultation. This ensures I can provide the safest and most effective personalized prescription for you.