A Japanese judo therapy expert instructs Vietnamese doctors in various techniques at the HCM City Institute of Traditional Medicine on August 20. – Photo by JICA

HCM CITY — HCM City medical staff are being trained in Japanese judo therapy, a trauma treatment technique, by Japanese experts under an ODA project by JICA to promote this medical treatment method in Việt Nam.

Trương Thị Ngọc Lan, deputy director of the HCM City Institute of Traditional Medicine, said the programme started in 2024, with Japanese professionals providing both theoretical and practical training.

Key Vietnamese doctors also visited Japan in October 2023 for six months to gain clinical experience with patients at judo therapy clinics and hospitals.

Yuji Tazawa, international exchange coordinator of the Japan Judo Therapy Association, said that this method was developed from jujitsu, the predecessor of Judo in Japan.

Its strength is that it does not rely on machinery and instead straightens bones entirely by hand and fixes them with familiar and low-cost materials.

But to apply this technique effectively, doctors require deep knowledge of anatomy and body mechanics, he said.

It is on the list of treatments covered by insurance and widely used in Japan.

In 2022, Japan had 78,827 certified judo therapy specialists and 50,919 clinics.

Earlier, it was introduced in Mongolia by a non-governmental organisation in 2006. 

According to Lan, judo therapy is similar to Vietnamese medicine, combining three techniques at once, including fixing, conservative treatment, and exercise and rehabilitation.

But in Việt Nam, these techniques are often separate and not combined into a holistic treatment method, she said.

Judo masters have simplified some of these manipulative techniques to reduce the force and time needed for execution, making it less painful for patients.

When Typhoon Yagi struck Việt Nam's northern provinces in 2024, doctors successfully applied judo therapy techniques, which proved highly effective in treating victims, Lan added.

The technique is evidently suitable for remote areas that lack facilities and have limited access to major medical centres.

The programme is scheduled to go on until July 2027, with JICA, the Ministry of Health and their partners considering expanding or adjusting it subsequently based on needs on the ground. — VNS