Use of Western Medicine and Traditional Korean Medicine for Joint Disorders: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis Based on Korean Nationwide Insurance Data

Table 18

Distribution of nonsurgical interventions in Western medicine and traditional Korean medicine.

Nonsurgical intervention		Total	Year	2011	2012	2013	2014
				1,481,969	1,560,032	1,594,949	1,600,774
WM	Basic physical	0		947,982	1,000,863	1,034,024	1,033,566
			%	(63.97)	(64.16)	(64.83)	(64.57)
		1		32,582	38,311	46,856	45,063
			%	(2.20)	(2.46)	(2.94)	(2.82)
		2		136,773	137,871	126,126	122,500
			%	(9.23)	(8.84)	(7.91)	(7.65)
		3≦	N	364,632	382,987	387,943	399,645
				(24.60)	(24.55)	(24.32)	(24.97)
WM	Simple	0		1,475,271	1,551,724	1,585,834	1,590,708
			%	(99.55)	(99.47)	(99.43)	(99.37)
		1≦		6,698	8,308	9,115	10,066
			%	(.45)	(.53)	(.57)	(.63)
WM	Professional	0		1,481,873	1,560,008	1,594,914	1,600,736
			%	(99.99)	(100.00)	(100.00)	(100.00)
		1≦		96	24	35	38
			%	(.01)	(.00)	(.00)	(.00)
WM	Rehabilitation of CNS	0		1,481,962	1,560,029	1,594,942	1,600,773
			%	(100.00)	(100.00)	(100.00)	(100.00)
		1≦		7	3	7	1
			%	(.00)	(.00)	(.00)	(.00)
TM	Acupuncture	0		982,471	1,062,109	1,085,224	1,102,972
			%	(66.29)	(68.08)	(68.04)	(68.90)
		1		40,678	44,984	55,124	50,447
			%	(2.74)	(2.88)	(3.46)	(3.15)
		2≦		458,820	452,939	454,601	447,355
			%	(30.96)	(29.03)	(28.50)	(27.95)
TM	Moxibustion	0		1,481,922	1,559,985	1,594,876	1,600,667
			%	(100.00)	(100.00)	(100.00)	(99.99)
		1≦		47	47	73	107
			%	(.00)	(.00)	(.00)	(.01)
TM	Cupping	0		1,481,712	1,559,844	1,594,897	1,600,518
			%	(99.98)	(99.99)	(100.00)	(99.98)
		1≦		257	188	52	256
			%	(.02)	(.01)	(.00)	(.02)
TM	Heat & cold therapy	0		1,481,856	1,559,985	1,594,897	1,600,734
			%	(99.99)	(100.00)	(100.00)	(100.00)
		1≦		113	47	52	40
			%	(.01)	(.00)	(.00)	(.00)

patient could be hospitalized more than once during the study period, resulting in more than one claim per patient. Thus, the number of claims in the study was higher than the number of patients. physical therapy included superficial heat therapy, cold therapy, deep heat therapy, ultraviolet irradiation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, massage therapy, and simple therapeutic exercise. rehabilitation included paraffin bath, hydrotherapy, intermittent traction therapy, electrical stimulation therapy, laser therapy, therapeutic exercise, motor point block, pneumatic compression, complex decongestive physical therapy, and iontophoresis. rehabilitation included pool therapy, occupational therapy, activities of daily living training, neurogenic bladder training, functional electrical stimulation therapy, myofascial trigger point injection, rehabilitative social work, rehabilitative breathing therapy, rehabilitative functional training, and rehabilitative dysphagia therapy. WM, Western medicine; TM, traditional Korean medicine.