Chapter 147
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Of Course It's Possible
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"Of course it's possible."
I declared confidently.
How could it be impossible? It wasn't like they were asking me to raise the dead.
Kim Hye-young stared at me as if she were beholding a messiah performing miracles.
"That said, my role will only be about 30%. You'll need to handle more than 70% yourself. First off, you have to show up faithfully for treatments, and you need to break that habit of tensing your shoulders."
"Ah..."
I wanted to promise her a full recovery to match her expectations, but fixing not just the pain but even her appearance required her own effort.
"With such a slender frame, the fact that only your trapezius is this developed means your other muscles are weak. The trapezius is the largest muscle connecting your neck, shoulders, and back."
"Oh, really?"
"Whenever you shrug your shoulders or try to maintain good posture, it's overworking to compensate for areas that should use your deltoids or back muscles. That's why it keeps developing on its own. It's been suffering alone, so don't resent it too much."
"I guess I need to give it a break..."
"Exactly. That means balanced exercises to develop the surrounding muscles are essential too."
Kim Hye-young nodded with renewed determination.
"Let me check your tender points. I'll massage lightly."
She had already taken off her cardigan, so she nodded without hesitation.
"Eek!"
It was bad. Really bad.
"How on earth have you been living like this? Have you tried anything to loosen it up? You're the most rigid patient I've seen all year."
Usually, the ones with stiff shoulders and elevated trapezius were middle-aged men.
Sturdy builds from physical labor, with a mix of muscle and fat, short necks.
Yet Kim Hye-young had slim limbs, but her trapezius was just as rock-hard as theirs.
"I get massages pretty often, but it only feels good right then. It stiffens right back up when I work."
"Aigoo, you must be tensing up constantly at work. As we treat it, good posture will start feeling more natural, so stick a note on your desk saying 'Relax your shoulders' and try your best to correct it. For now, we'll thoroughly loosen the painful areas first."
"Yes. With acupuncture, right?"
"We'll do acupuncture and chiropractic manipulation together, plus cupping."
Kim Hye-young's eyelids twitched slightly.
"First time with needles?"
"Yes."
"I'll make it as painless as possible. But I don't think we can manage without them."
Even with manipulation, puncturing the knotted points with needles first makes a world of difference.
Kim Hye-young readily agreed and rubbed her own shoulder.
"Alright, we'll handle the trapezius that way. Now let's check the other muscles."
"Other muscles?"
Her face seemed to ask, 'Didn't you say they weren't developed?'
"This level of chronic stiffness isn't just the trapezius's problem."
"Oh?"
"Of course we'll treat the trapezius directly, but the fact that it keeps tightening despite repeated manual release means there's stimulation elsewhere. The first thing that comes to mind is the sternocleidomastoid."
The sternocleidomastoid runs from below the ear to the collarbone—a neck muscle that bulges in highly stressed people.
"The sternocleidomastoid and trapezius are both controlled by the spinal accessory nerve. Since this nerve runs down from the head like this, compression in the sternocleidomastoid causes issues in the trapezius too."
"Aah..."
The spinal accessory nerve is the 11th cranial nerve. I traced the line from her head, down the sternocleidomastoid in her neck, to the trapezius.
"So that's it."
"Turn your head to the right. How about here?"
Both sides were in bad shape anyway, so I had her turn to one first.
When Kim Hye-young turned right, her left sternocleidomastoid protruded.
I lightly pressed just below her ear, the upper part of the sternocleidomastoid.
"Ow!"
As expected, she winced in severe pain.
"I didn't even know this hurt."
"If a professional masseuse did acupressure, they should've worked on it too, but maybe not enough sessions, or too long ago..."
"Oh, I didn't go to a massage parlor. I did a few times locally before, but lately it's mostly my boyfriend."
Kim Hye-young smiled sheepishly.
Then she hadn't had proper treatment much at all.
Forget appearances— at that severity, even just sitting would feel like her shoulders were being crushed. It was a wonder she'd endured this long.
"I was going to say we might need long-term treatment for the cervical posterior joints if this doesn't work, but actually, you might improve faster. We'll treat the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid while monitoring progress."
"Yes, thank you."
Kim Hye-young put her cardigan back on, bowed politely, and left the exam room.
She'd have to change into patient clothes soon, but even briefly exposing her shoulders outside seemed to bother her.
Team Leader Oh and the director said it was fine, but...
Stepping into the treatment room, Kim Hye-young got scared.
"Gasp, do I lie face down?"
She'd thought it'd be sitting.
"Rarely, some people get dizzy after acupuncture. If you fall backward with needles in your neck, it could be dangerous. Face-down is safest for neck and shoulder needles."
"Gasp."
"If lying down too long is uncomfortable, just say so!"
Kim Hye-young flinched at the staffer's words as they handed her patient clothes and helped position her.
It wasn't common, but that only made her more frightened.
"You tensed up a lot just now. Let me check."
The staffer left, and the director entered behind the curtain, touching her shoulder.
The instant his hand touched, she reflexively tensed again—but all it confirmed was how tense she already was.
"This is just in case. Needle shock happens occasionally but fades in minutes. Don't worry, relax. Breathe out. Hoo~."
Kim Hye-young followed the director and exhaled. "Hoo~."
Closing her eyes and focusing on her breath, something poked her shoulder.
"That was one. Okay?"
"Ah, is that all?"
It hadn't hurt at all—less than expected.
"Yes, I'll insert a few more in the worst knots to minimize them. Hang in there."
"If it's like that, no problem."
Hoo, hoo.
She breathed out, relaxed, and took the needles.
She had to watch for unconscious tensing, but the needle pricks themselves weren't bad.
Like light taps from a ballpoint pen?
"Acupuncture done. Just four herbal injections now—the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius knots I mentioned."
"Oh?"
The injections didn't hurt much either.
Instead, it felt like something spread wide through her shoulder?
She didn't know anatomy well, but shouldn't injections stay local to the muscle?
Yet a cool sensation flowed from the sites to her shoulders, nape, and even head.
Electroacupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, then manipulation.
Electro was just taps and tingles, but oddly, refreshing energy surged through her upper body each time.
She had a strong premonition she'd feel great rising afterward.
After 20 minutes face-down, she sat up.
"Gasp, my shoulders are loose!"
Habitually slapping her opposite shoulder with one hand.
The heavy feel was different now.
Touching confirmed it—definitely softer.
"Of course they are."
When she went for the final manipulation and reported how it felt, the director smiled confidently.
She'd come just to try it out.
Not the attitude of "hope it works, oh well if not."
He'd said to treat diligently and do back exercises? Following that, she felt certain she could really recover.
"Let's do the manipulation now. Can I lower your clothes?"
"Ah, yes. Yes."
Kim Hye-young sat on the intimidating-looking bed.
Undid her patient gown buttons, exposing her shoulders almost fully.
Headlock and bone-cracking?
Pop pop, realigning?
She imagined briefly, but the director's touch was gentle.
"Tell me if it hurts."
Like a massage.
Not kneading with hands, but rubbing with arms.
Yet gentler than her senior's vise-like presses, energy spreading softly.
"Does manipulation usually include this?"
"If needed. You definitely need your upper trapezius released."
It felt incredibly refreshing.
She thought her boyfriend was good at massages, but compared to this near-euphoric coolness, his were just painful.
Grateful still, of course.
After releasing both trapezius, she lay on the bed.
Sequentially, sternocleidomastoid, then rhomboids, and his hands moved to her cervical spine.
"I'll gently correct your forward head posture. Won't hurt, but the sounds might startle you. Relax~."
Crack.
'Oh, they do that too.'
Neck twisting side to side.
"Sit up again. Hands behind head, interlace fingers, elbows forward."
This time, her back cracked and shoulders spread wide.
"That's it. Sit up straight now."
Kim Hye-young straightened her back and dropped her shoulders on the manipulation bed.
"Gasp, it feels so easy!"
Amazingly, nothing like sitting at work today.
"You've been working like this: hunched back, head thrust forward, shoulders up."
The director mimicked her usual work posture.
Hunched back, forward head, elevated trapezius—it looked all too natural.
"Yes..."
Kim Hye-young answered, deeply embarrassed.
"From tomorrow, it'll be much easier. Building core muscles for good posture will help even more."
"Yes, thank you!"
"If you want a gym, the trainer downstairs is great. Or just search NewTube."
"I'll sign up right away. And come faithfully for treatments!"
"Good. See you tomorrow. First acupuncture— you did great."
"No! Thanks for making it painless!"
Leaving the exam room, Kim Hye-young rolled her shoulders.
Utterly different from when she arrived.
Paying at the desk, she glanced in the elevator mirror.
Trapezius hadn't visibly shrunk yet.
But the cool sensation from the needles and director's hands lingered.
She let go following that energy.
Wanting more cool relief in her shoulders.
Kim Hye-young flung off her cardigan and headed to her meetup spot.
"Ugh! So many manipulation patients today!"
Yi Areum said as they finished rounds.
I was fine, but she and I had each done over ten manipulations today.
"You okay? It's tough, right?"
I was alright, but manipulation was demanding on the practitioner too.
Tougher than needling three patients, at least.
Especially since Yi Areum wasn't fully proficient yet— even if I told her to spare her joints, she'd end up using force.
"Some days they pile up. If it's too much, pass them to me."
"Not at all! It's great getting to practice various techniques! Time to connect with patients too. I'll strive to treat as efficiently and effectively as you, Director!"
I'd meant it casually, but Yi Areum responded with even more zeal.
By now, her initial enthusiasm should've cooled, but her eyes sparkled like at the interview.
"Grabbing jjajangmyeon— wanna join?"
"Gasp, yes! Yes! Love to!"
And so I ended up inviting her to dinner without thinking.
"Ah, of course, go home if you're tired."
"I really want to go!"
...This is why managers drag new hires to drinks?
She seemed sincere, but what if it was just politeness?
"Order everything good. Chili shrimp too."
"Yes!"
Worried a bit, but I headed to Yongho Noodles with Yi Areum.
Great to see familiar faces after so long.