Managing Pain Abroad: Physical Therapy for Military Families Near Camp Humphreys
- Minjun Jang PT, DPT
- Sep 7
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 8
Living Well Abroad: Understanding and Managing Pain
Being stationed abroad, far from the familiarity of home, surrounded by different cultures, languages, and food, can be both exciting and challenging. Amid all these changes, maintaining your health is one of the most critical factors in making your time in South Korea enjoyable and meaningful, especially when dealing with pain, injury, or movement issues.
In this article, I’ll walk you through what pain really is, how we should approach it, and how physical therapy near Camp Humphreys might help. I currently provide care at Inspire Wellness Center, located just outside USAG Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek.
What Do I Offer at Inspire Wellness Center?
One of my biggest concerns with many physical therapy clinics in Korea is their overreliance on passive treatments, especially electrotherapy. I firmly believe that therapy should align with the functional goals of each individual. For example, if you aim to return to playing pickleball, your treatment shouldn’t consist of lying down with passive modalities, especially if your symptoms occur during activity.
Many people associate physical therapy only with post-operative recovery, but in reality, we can help with any discomfort related to movement, pain, or posture. If lifting weights feels off or you're not moving at full capacity, we can work together to improve your mechanics and get you back to 100%.
How Much Does Posture Really Matter?
“Posture” often gets blamed for many of our aches and pains. However, research shows a weak correlation between posture alone and pain. As a clinician, I only partially agree with this.
Most research designs are very controlled and don’t always reflect real-life scenarios. In practice, it’s not that a specific posture is “bad”—it’s more about how long we stay in one position. For instance, if you sit for eight hours a day at your desk, your posture will naturally shift over time. The issue isn’t how you’re sitting; it’s that you’re not moving enough.
Our bodies are designed to move in many different ways. If we didn’t need these movements, our bodies would have evolved them out of existence. The key takeaway? Move often. Try standing up every 50 minutes and taking a short 10-minute walk. It’s simple but effective.
Physical therapy in Inspire Wellness Center can help you assess your movement patterns, reduce strain, and build healthier daily habits—whether you're sitting at a desk, parenting young kids, or in active-duty service. Don't stress over maintaining a "perfect posture." Instead—relax, change positions regularly, and keep moving.
Military Boots: A Double-Edged Sword
Foot pain in Korea? It could be your boots.
Our feet are crucial to how we interact with the world—they provide balance, absorb shock, and adjust to every surface we step on. Think of them as your body's direct line of communication with the ground.
Military boots are excellent at protecting the ankle and foot from external forces. However, their rigidity can also limit ankle mobility and dampen the natural shock absorption provided by the foot’s arch.
When one area of the body becomes restricted, another part often compensates for it. For soldiers, this compensation usually leads to discomfort in the heel or arch of the foot, sometimes diagnosed as plantar fasciitis. Whether or not it carries that label, the focus should always be on restoring proper foot and ankle movement with targeted physical therapy for military families in Korea.
Pain Isn’t Always What It Seems: Understanding the Types
What is pain, really?
Pain is defined as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage” (Raja et al., 2020). That definition reminds us that pain is more than just a physical reaction—it’s also an emotional and neurological one.
Nociceptive Pain (Tissue-related)
Tissue-related pain is the kind that most of us are familiar with. For example, I cut my fingertip while chopping fruit in early May 2025. I had to get stitches. The pain I experienced had a clear cause. Even now, three weeks later, it still hurts when I type—but it’s much less than before. That’s because tissue takes time to heal. Whether it’s skin, muscle, or joint, the healing process varies between individuals, but the pattern is similar: injury → recovery → resolution of pain.
Neuropathic Pain (Nerve-related)
Nerve-related pain includes symptoms like burning, numbness, or shooting pain, which many refer to as "radiating pain" into the arms or legs. While it's often caused by nerve compression (e.g., a herniated disc), compression isn’t always necessary. Nerves can also be chemically irritated from inflammation or trauma.
If you're experiencing changes in sensation or noticeable weakness in a specific muscle, don’t wait—see a physician right away. These signs may indicate a more serious nerve issue. If it’s milder, Inspire Wellness Center near Camp Humphreys often helps by restoring spinal movement or finding movement patterns that reduce your symptoms.
Nociplastic Pain (Central sensitization)
Central sensitization is common in chronic pain. Your nervous system becomes overly sensitive, amplifying pain signals—even when there's no tissue damage. It's like your body's alarm system is on high alert for no good reason.
This kind of pain can persist long after an injury has healed. The pain is real—it’s just coming from changes in how your brain and nerves process information. Movement, education, and building body awareness are key strategies we use to treat it at Inspire Wellness Center in Pyeongtaek.
Key Takeaways on Pain and Physical Therapy in Korea
• Not all pain equals damage.
• Moving often and moving smartly is more important than “perfect posture.”
• Your feet—and your boots—might be telling you something.
• Different types of pain require different kinds of care.
• Personalized physical therapy in Korea can help restore function and reduce pain.
If you’re dealing with discomfort, whether from your training, your job, or just everyday life, know that you don’t have to just “tough it out.” We’re here to help military families, expats, and residents in the Pyeongtaek area.
Inspire Wellness: Physical Therapy Near Camp Humphreys with Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, and Massage
Inspire Wellness Center has been a trusted provider of holistic care for the expat community in Pyeongtaek, South Korea for over eight years.
With an internationally trained team of U.S. chiropractors, physiotherapists, and licensed massage therapists, the clinic specializes in personalized, evidence-based care that supports your lifestyle abroad. Conveniently located next to Brownstone Apartments, just outside the Camp Humphreys Walk-in Gate, Inspire Wellness offers easy online booking, English-language insurance receipts, and direct billing for eligible patients, making high-quality wellness care accessible and stress-free.
Hours of Operation:
Mon - Fri: 10 am - 7 pm
Sat: 10 am - 6 pm
Sun: Closed
Korea's national holidays: close 2 hours early
Lunch break: 1 pm - 2 pm
Address: 경기도 평택시 팽성읍 안정리 110-2
Phone: 031-647-0749
Email: Askinspirewellness@gmail.com
Website: https://inspirewellness.co.kr/
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is not a substitute for consultation with a licensed healthcare professional. This article does not create a doctor-patient or therapeutic relationship between the author and the reader. Individuals should always seek the guidance of their own qualified medical or mental health providers with any questions or concerns they may have regarding a medical condition, treatment options, or overall health and well-being. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in this article.
Source
Raja, S. N., Carr, D. B., Cohen, M., Finnerup, N. B., Flor, H., Gibson, S., Keefe, F. J., Mogil, J. S., Ringkamp, M., Sluka, K. A., Song, X. J., Stevens, B., Sullivan, M. D., Tutelman, P. R., Ushida, T., & Vader, K. (2020). The revised International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain: Concepts, challenges, and compromises. Pain, 161(9), 1976–1982. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001939
Great article! Truly helpful!