Chapter 212
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 212
Chapter Title: Taijiquan Prescription and the Pianist's Fingers
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I showed Kim Jaegyu the paper on Tai Chi that Sandro had told me about.
Since it was traditional Chinese martial arts, I figured there would only be studies from China, but surprisingly, the US had conducted quite a few experiments too.
Unlike Korea, where blood pressure meds barely cost anything with insurance coverage, American hypertension patients faced a lifetime of expensive prescriptions. That must have driven a wide range of research into alternatives, with patients eager to participate.
"Ooh."
Kim Jaegyu nodded as he listened to my summary of the paper.
"Pretty cool, right?"
When I even showed him videos, he seemed pretty hooked.
The movements might feel frustratingly slow compared to jogging, but if he thought of it as training at a dojo, it wasn't so bad.
"Shall we really give it a try? I don't have much else going on anyway."
Perfect!
"Register at a dojo as soon as you leave the clinic today! You need to start managing your lifestyle, even if it's just a little at a time."
I urged him to jump right in.
These things fall apart if you put them off even slightly.
Kim Jaegyu nodded readily.
He even asked for dojo recommendations, but coincidentally, I had no connections to any of them.
"Alright. I'll ask the vice principal to check one out with me after she gets off work today."
"The vice principal?"
"Oh, right—Shin Yongmin. She's the one who introduced me here. She mentioned she's in the pre-hypertension stage too."
"Exactly. It'd be even better if you two went together!"
Was Shin Yongmin coming in today? If so, I'd mention it to her too.
Seeing his motivation sparked by her words, it seemed he listened to her more than most.
"Got it. We'll give it a shot together."
Kim Jaegyu committed to going today.
Sandro and I exchanged glances and smiles. It worked!
"I've stopped the Western meds, but is it okay to keep taking the herbal ones the same as before?"
"Yes. For now, we'll observe how your symptoms change in your current state."
"Ultimately, we'll stop the herbs too, right?"
"Since they're treatment meds, that's the goal."
There were tonics for ongoing maintenance, but for Kim Jaegyu, complete cessation was ideal.
"Start with exercise, drop the Western meds, then phase out the herbs. Keep getting acupuncture occasionally—it's still good for you."
"Ah, understood."
"It's not time to relax yet, but I think we can wrap this up in two or three months. After that, just come in when the weather turns cold and spikes your pressure, or if something external really ticks you off."
"Two months..."
Kim Jaegyu's lips moved slightly.
We'd already treated him for two and a half months, with about half the journey left.
Five months total wasn't short, but...
"I never even dreamed I could get better. Thank you."
Hope blossomed for freedom from the pain he'd assumed would last until death.
Even mid-treatment, glimpsing the end brought joy.
"Alright, let's get to treatment."
The session was the usual.
I needled the key blood pressure points, plus the back of his neck to address his occipital headaches. That was it.
Still, Sandro meticulously noted everything.
"Are you planning to do the same for your mother?"
"She's overseas right now, so I can't treat her yet, but I need to learn it well."
"I hope she gets better too. Fighting!"
Kim Jaegyu even struck up small talk with Sandro first.
Unthinkable back on his initial visit.
The suspicion that hardened his gaze had softened, and even the furrowed brow—slightly exaggerated—had eased.
He'd once insisted with a straight face that he'd never change, but here he was, transformed.
'Never assume anything for sure.'
People say personalities don't change after a certain age, or chronic illnesses are hard to cure.
But "difficult" didn't mean "impossible."
That's why treating people stayed interesting—you could change anytime, somehow.
'Oh, and Tai Chi is really blowing up.'
I hadn't expected dojos nearby, but surprisingly, there were plenty of places to practice.
Of course, the videos showed forms nothing like the Wudang clan's Taijiquan or sword styles.
A quick search revealed modern Tai Chi originated in the late Ming-early Qing era.
But the principles of yin-yang and taiji were far older and more mainstream.
So, they pretend not to be Wudang while quietly claiming all the good stuff?
Not the only Daoist sect among the Nine Great Schools, but Wudang had that authentic Daoist vibe.
Yet they spread secular branches everywhere, raking in popularity and cash.
Tsk, impressive stuff. Something to study and emulate.
Sandro observed a variety of patients over the week.
He saw simple muscle pain cases resolve instantly or within days.
He witnessed initial visits from severe cases and dramatic improvements in long-term patients.
"Um, are you still seeing patients?"
And on the last evening,
today's final new patient stepped into the clinic.
"We close in 30 minutes, so compresses and physical therapy are out. You'd have to settle for acupuncture only—is that okay?"
"Oh, even that would be a huge help. Fingers aren't easy for physical therapy anyway."
She must have rushed in late.
Right at closing time for reception, yet she bowed gratefully, incredibly polite.
Let's see—Park Miseon, 48 years old.
A bobbed woman in an elegant dress.
Didn't seem picky, so when I asked permission to observe, she agreed readily, as expected.
"Oh, Rome? I've been there too."
She even seemed delighted.
So many people had visited Rome that Sandro just smiled smoothly past it.
"Park Miseon, what's hurting the most today?"
The intake said fingers, but I confirmed specifics.
Park Miseon rested both hands on the exam table, pointing to her left fingers with her right.
"My finger joints aren't great. They usually throb on and off, but it's worse today."
"Do you use your hands a lot for work? No particular overexertion?"
"I'm a pianist. I have a recital tomorrow, so I played... a lot today."
"Ah."
"I'm worried it'll hurt like this mid-performance, so I came late despite the hour."
Recital? Solo concert meant she was a successful pianist.
Pianists hammered their finger joints relentlessly.
"All eight fingers except thumbs hurt, worst on the left index, right?"
The spots she indicated were the distal interphalangeal joints (DIP)—the farther of the two joints when you bend your fingers.
"Yes. I try not to press too hard, but it happens anyway."
Park Miseon sighed deeply.
"I hear musicians come here a lot. Have you seen patients like me? It throbs so bad my left hand even swelled up..."
Musicians? Maybe Melon Soda Horizon.
The members rotated through. Keyboardist Park Haru suffered hiccups, not fingers, though.
"Good timing. That's classic osteoarthritis. How long?"
Not Park Haru, but finger osteoarthritis was common.
Even without piano, housework triggered it.
"About... yeah, four years since it started."
Chronic.
Young for OA, but advanced progression.
"Rheumatoid tests done?"
"Yes, negative. They said overuse caused early degenerative changes. No real fix."
She knew advanced OA lacked cures.
"Early on, acupuncture worked like magic, but lately, even multiple sessions do nothing. I came hoping the director might have a way."
"Hmm, let me explain the pathology first."
Even I couldn't miraculously cure chronic conditions.
"It's osteoarthritis (OA). Starts with collateral ligament inflammation."
"Ah, yes. That's how it began."
Quick action then might have fixed it.
"Then cartilage loses moisture, hardens, wears down. Bone thickens underneath, forming bone spurs at edges."
Surgery was the only way to remove actual bone deformities.
Unfortunately, her fingers confirmed swelling beyond that—ligaments hypertrophied, joints deformed.
"Any way to fix it by tomorrow? Pop painkillers and perform?"
Tomorrow, really.
Refined speech, but demanding.
I smiled; she covered her mouth with an "oh."
"Not using my thumbs. Just dizzy with fear. First recital in ages—I want to shine, terrified of ruining it."
"No worries. It's fine to ask. No misunderstanding."
No need to apologize.
"Full cure by tomorrow's impossible, but I can dramatically ease the pain."
I waved it off and pulled out the knife needle.
Been a while since I used this.
"Regular acupuncture from other clinics won't cut it—ligaments too thickened."
"Yes..."
"This is a knife needle—blade tip slices hardened tissue. Can't fix bone, but pain comes from ligament and joint inflammation. It'll relieve pain short-term and improve range of motion."
Hers were just protruding slightly; I'd mobilized fully ankylosed fingers before.
Her face lit up at my assurance.
"Really? Thank goodness."
"Fingers aren't great for physio anyway, so we'll do it here now. Think of it as peeling adhesions. Keep recovering post-recital."
"Yes, got it!"
I fetched alcohol swabs, sterilized, and proceeded.
Park Miseon turned her head away early.
Just inserting and withdrawing on both sides, but she couldn't watch.
"Can I watch up close?"
First knife needle treatment this week, so Sandro asked and leaned in.
"Ah, sure."
Park Miseon beamed at Sandro, reminiscing.
"Come to think of it, hasn't hurt this bad since Rome."
"Stayed in Rome long?"
She nodded with a wistful smile.
"Quite. Long study abroad, plus multiple concert tours."