Chapter 51
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Miracle of Chuna
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Just as I was about to start the chuna treatment on Myeong Jun-sik, I turned my head.
A sharp gaze from Chu Mi-yeong pierced me from the corner of the exam room.
'Why's her face like that?'
Shock? Worry? It was hard to pin down her emotion, but anyone could see it was an odd expression.
"Uh, just a moment..."
Myeong Jun-sik followed my gaze to her face and suddenly started stuttering.
Unlike her ambiguous look, his expression was crystal clear.
Terror.
There was nothing particularly scary about the situation, but he'd gotten spooked by her reaction.
That's when I realized why she was so shocked.
She must have thought I was about to use those techniques I'd shown her over the weekend.
'No, that was just over-the-top to explain the principles!'
I couldn't believe it.
This wasn't some wuxia world with nothing but wooden beds. Why would I use those methods on a patient lying on this 2-million-won chuna table I'd splurged on?
No matter how effective they were, patients would bolt if I tried that for real. There's no way I'd do primitive chuna like that on an actual patient.
"It's fine. It won't hurt a bit."
"Ah..."
"I'll loosen it up very gently, so don't worry."
I reassured Myeong Jun-sik and gave Chu Mi-yeong a glance.
Fundamentals are fundamentals. Now it was time to demonstrate their modern application—a standard technique that's painless yet highly effective.
"Yes."
Thankfully, Myeong Jun-sik nodded, trusting my words.
But tension still lingered in his body, making correction tricky in this state.
"I'll loosen the muscles first."
No problem. I was planning to start with rolling massage for muscle relaxation anyway.
I had him lie on his side and applied lotion to my forearms.
Lowering my stance, I made contact with his quadratus lumborum.
Then, sweeping horizontally across his lower back... long and smooth.
"Urgh... ah!"
A light rub, and his back arched with a pleasurable groan.
"Relax. Feels good, right?"
"Ah, yes!"
"This area's really tight."
"Hngh!"
Focusing pressure on the knotted spots, he let out a yelp but nodded eagerly. His face was one of pure relief.
Chu Mi-yeong had sidled up close, watching me and the patient in wide-eyed fascination.
"Not hurting, right?"
"It does sting a little... but it feels great!"
"I'll go down to the glutes now."
"Ooh...!"
I loosened his glute muscles the same way. The moment my hands touched, I knew. His lower back was tense, but nothing compared to his glutes.
Stiff as a board, just like you'd expect from someone glued to a desk chair all day.
"Flip over."
I did the left side next—quadratus lumborum and gluteus medius.
"Now for pelvic correction. Don't freak out if the bed moves."
The tension had eased enough.
Time for the real adjustment.
Clunk!
The bed's lumbar support rose up.
I first positioned the wobbly Myeong Jun-sik prone and checked his pelvic misalignment.
"Your left leg's a bit shorter. It's not congenitally short—your left pelvis is hiked up and posteriorly displaced. I'm going to push it back down."
He glanced at his feet and nodded.
"So that's why the nerve was more pinched on the left? My left side usually hurts more."
"Yeah, that's common. Though some people get more pain on the longer side if they cross their legs and overstress it—not 100%, but typical."
"Ah."
"I'll fix it right now. Might startle you a bit."
The moment I finished warning, I placed my hands.
Left hand directly on the posterior superior iliac spine to press the pelvis down; right hand lightly on the ischial tuberosity. Then, pressure with the left.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Much lighter and snappier than what I'd done to Chu Mi-yeong before, but the drop table made it just as effective.
"You okay?"
"Yes! I can feel my pelvis slotting right into place!"
"Leg lengths are even now."
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
While at it, I corrected the Tianshu displacement and gave his flat back a drop. Above all, freeing that stuck, posteriorly displaced pelvis made a visible difference—he could feel it.
"My back really feels open now. Like everything twisted was snapping perfectly into alignment."
"All done. Get up."
"Yes."
He hopped off the bed with his response.
Unlike his awkward shuffle on the way in, his posture was already transformed. He'd definitely notice how much lighter he felt.
"Ah... the stabbing pain is almost gone!"
"Good?"
"Yes. Left side feels cool and refreshed, and the spots you loosened are way softer. That... area you didn't even touch—the lumpy ache and zaps are mostly gone."
Just as I'd predicted.
A little muscle loosening had brought him major relief.
"Great response. If one chuna session does this much, ten or fewer should clear up even the testicular pain."
"Really?!"
"But you need ongoing back treatment. How could you ignore it for ten years?"
"Yes..."
A bit embarrassed, he scratched his head with a bowed nod.
I outlined his future treatment schedule.
"Acupuncture three times a week minimum, steadily. I'll add Liuwei Dihuang pills via insurance too. Muscle tension aside, there's underlying deficiency at play."
He'd flinched at the mention of meds but nodded at the cheap copay—under 10,000 won.
With instant pain relief, he eagerly agreed to frequent visits.
"Got it. Thank you."
"Head to the treatment room then. They'll start with physio."
He left the exam room deeply grateful.
They say you enter the bathroom one man and leave another? Spot on.
He'd shuffled in, barely describing his pain; now he strode out tall and straight.
That long-tormented spot would feel remarkably light now.
Or rather, not light—absent.
...Comfortable, let's say.
"Director, you're incredible!"
The door clicked shut behind the patient, and Chu Mi-yeong clapped.
"It's nothing."
"I had no idea you'd treat like that. If it were me, hearing 'testicular pain' would've blanked my brain—I'd go, 'Uh, let's try acupuncture nearby...'"
"Exactly."
"Pardon?"
"That's how you treat. You can't just needle the groin, so glutes and lumbar get needles anyway, right?"
"I... guess?"
Any licensed practitioner would start with nearby acupuncture. Unless they're obsessed with one acupuncture method, testing it on everything.
"Chuna because he looked miserable and needed quick relief, plus to show you. Truth is, the muscle loosening mattered more than the leg-length show."
"Ah..."
Remembering her own treatment, she cupped her chin. Yeah, her TMJ fix had looked pretty makeshift too.
"Don't panic over unfamiliar methods—just confidently say the exact cause is unclear, treat all possible nerve pinch sites, and monitor. What's to fear? Urology meds aren't working anyway."
"True."
"Of course, know true emergencies that need transfer. Patients don't self-triage, so study those obscure textbook diseases too."
"Yes!"
Chu Mi-yeong nodded with fiery resolve.
At Haneul Clinic, she'd forgotten everything from school amid endless diets and acne scripts...
But cram it in quick, and it'd revive from some brain corner.
She jotted notes in her pad; I neatly charted the intake history.
"Oh, the Liuwei insurance pills at the end—for profit?"
She asked as if it just hit her.
I hadn't explained that.
"No way. Insurance herbs make no money—not like decoctions. Gave 'em because needed."
"Huh? Didn't you say acupuncture would suffice?"
"Loosening fixes pain. But chronic low back in his age group? Rooted in kidney deficiency, no?"
"Kidney deficiency back pain?"
Kidney deficiency low back pain.
In Korean medicine, kidneys aren't just the organ—they store essence. Overwork, excess sex, chronic illness deplete kidney essence, causing dull aches, cold sweats, fatigue. By 50-60, even without disease, function wanes unless you're a murim master.
Acupuncture helps circulation and muscle relief, but ultimately, you supplement what's missing.
Unless you're me, infusing qi directly—most need meds.
"Ideally, deer antler. But he didn't come gunning for custom herbs."
"Yeah, felt like a 'just in case' visit."
"Tell that guy 'take deer antler' and he bolts. So, Liuwei as a cheap insurance alt. He'll see effects and request real meds himself."
"Ooh."
She nodded, exaggerated enlightenment pose.
I chuckled, almost patted her head—then remembered the age gap and stopped.
Ten days later.
Myeong Jun-sik reaped the full benefits. His back and testicular pain improved daily.
He could finally ignore that nagging body part and focus on work.
His back felt better than it had in ages—no big strain from long sits.
"Section Chief Myeong, this plan's killer. How about you present it at next week's meeting?"
"Of course!"
Productivity soared; even work flowed smoothly.
"Chief, you working out? You used to slouch everywhere—back's so straight now?"
His nearby subordinate noticed, who'd worried days ago.
"Haha. Got treated at the Korean medicine clinic Cha recommended."
"Oh? That good?"
"Yeah... Went for stomach pain, fixed my back while at it."
"Whoa! Glad you're better quick!"
"Right?"
But the real win? Clearing the misunderstanding with his wife.
"Honey, I'm home~ Ah, my favorite mackerel stew? Thanks."
"Oh, you flirt! Thanks for what!"
He'd thought the absurd STD suspicion was the only issue fueling her cheating fears.
Actually, one more: lying still made it uncomfortable, so he'd unconsciously hug his legs nightly, turning his back to her.
"Ugh, me. Didn't even realize it hurt."
With recent work busyness overlapping, nightly back-turning let her imagination run wild.
Thinking he avoided her face from guilt—just then, hearing about his testicular pain turned suspicion to certainty.
To hurt her like that unknowingly! How oblivious was he?
But now it was over.
Comfortable lying flat, conversation cleared the air completely.
'No more worries. Good thing I followed the treatment advice.'
Plus, he felt healthier overall.
The prescribed meds nourished his essence, boosting vitality subtly.
In just ten days: faster sleep, less joint stiffness and dribbling.
And above all...
"Hey honey, know what day it is?"
"Hm? What?"
"Ta-da."
"Flower bouquet? After 20 years...?"
Confidence returned.
"Daughter's studying late at the reading room again, right?"
"Probably, but...?"
Confidence she still loved him.
And physical confidence from better pelvic health.
Myeong Jun-sik flashed a cheesy smile, offering the flowers.
"20th wedding anniversary... Just us, cozy?"