TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Since my right lower back has been giving me spotty problems, oscillating between discomfort and pain recently when I walk, work out, and do other mundane chores which are not many, I knew it was time to consider a chiropractor visit. The pain or discomfort has been there for years which I conveniently ignored. Not a big fan of the cracking sound of my bones, I was a bit hesitant. Then I began noticing Virtue TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) outfit right between our everyday grocery market and our apartment unit. After getting over my initial curiosity and constantly peeking into the shop when walking by, I looked at the reviews on Google and they were perfect 5.0 with less than 100 reviews. “Oh, they could be all the family and friends,” I thought. But I was getting irritable enough that I needed to do something. The thought of “why not give it a try” won it out. After making an appointment, I showed up the next day.

A young Chinese man who was barely 35 years old greeted me, he was there when I made an appointment in person the day before. He was built like Ben Grimm, one of the original Fantastic Four Marvel characters, bushy bowl haircut with no parting, square-faced with matching square wire glasses, taller than me even without shoes on (he walks around the clinic barefoot), and densely built with disproportionate big hands. He was wearing a white gown, smiling baring his white straight teeth, which put me at ease. He genuinely looked happy to see me. Maybe he doubted I would show up. I smiled back but gave up the vibes that this was all new to me. We then moved into a small room through a curtain door. I explained to him why I came. He nodded as his smile never leaving him. As soon as I was done, he turned around, grabbed the Human Lumbar Spine Model from his desk, and explained what was going on. He also told me my lower back was stiff and it needed to be more flexible. With a short and clear explanation, I was sold. “Ok, do what you must do,” I told him.

For the next 90 minutes, he worked on my body unlike any other treatments (not many to compare with) I received. The first thing he told me was that in TCM, we don’t crack bones. “Good,” I thought and gave my thumbs up while lying down on my face. Instead, he communicated, “We work from the skin to muscles to bones, but never crack crack.” The vast majority of the time was spent working on my muscles. He possessed a combination of thick Chinese and Southeast Asian accent. But “no crack crack,” I understood. He must have rolled me over dozens of times on the chiropractic bed, with my legs and arms in a specific arrangement, side to side, and worked his way up from my toes to calves to thighs, and eventually my whole body. At one point, I felt a sharp but faint sting on my leg, thanks to the acupuncture he administered, one on each leg. I blurted out to him what for? “I’m resetting your leg muscles into their original state.” Ok, I don’t know what that means, but it sounds ok and is kind of too late, I thought. My mind quickly accessed positive acupuncture memories, trying to comfort, from two other times when I received the treatments: one due to a severe headache during high school days where I counted more than 20 needles into my head which scared the wits out of me and the other with a severe ankle sprain. Both times, my pain miraculously subsided. Needless to say, I am still alive.

Apart from the sting, after 90 minutes of rather undramatic treatment, I was asked to stand. As soon as I stood up, I noticed my body felt lighter and loose. One of my backbones once protruding slightly was gone. I suppose I did not have high expectations of TCM. Now I was converted. Smile never left my therapist, Jason, and sure enough, he was all smiles and happy for me. He then relayed to me that I should not cross my legs or do one of those “yangban” (or lotus-style) sitting postures which is hard for me anyway. “Your body is like a wet cement,” he told me. “Try to maintain good posture especially when you are sitting down for the next two weeks,” he continued. The imagery stayed with me, and it’s been a week so far. My pain remains gone. Since then, I enthusiastically shared with Grace. Now Grace is sold and will go for a visit in addition to a few of my friends here in KL.

Virtue TCM texted me a few days after my visit asking me how I was doing. Impressed with their follow-up, I told them great. The other day I was walking to a market, Jason spotted me from inside the shop, walked out, and asked me how I was doing, still smiling. I told him I could not be happier. I warned him there would be a few other visitors including my wife. I thank God that Jason’s big patient hands and his smiles cured me.