a MMB! Kendo Blog: Hands On

MMB! Kendo Blog

Monday, August 22, 2005


忍耐 + 掌握人生
Hands On

On Saturday, I had my 2nd physio clinic training. Again, most of the patients came in to treat their knee injuries. The other non knee-related treatments were weak ankle, strained neck and shoulder, and one person with back pain induced by improper standing and sitting posture.

I was taking turns observing Tristan and Mary's patient cases, and was able to assist them in preparing and applying heat pad and ice pad on some of the patients.

The highlight of this visit was observing Katie's case. Katie have been suffering from sore neck and pain around the joint of the C4 and C5 vetebra. The pain was induced by the compression of the vetebra joint, so Tristan massaged the area around the C4 / C5 vetebra to loosen up the joint. Then, he asked me if I would like to try too. I was so excited of this hands on opportunity of course I said Yes. Katie was happy for me to try too. So this was my first real hands on physio experience.

Tristan first showed me how to massage Katie's shoulder muscle groups along the spine in effleurage - a long continuous stroke starting from the lower shoulder blade level all the way up to the trapezius. Well, I did a short course of swedish massage at the beginning of the year just for fun, so I was able to apply a bit of knowledge from there too. It was very exciting but nervous when I was going through the effleurage. However, it was reassuring for me to hear that Katie felt my strokes were perfect and very nice. Then, she requested me if I could start the stroke from her lower back all the way up to her neck. bwahahaha. That was a triumphant moment for me. Katie said I got very good hands. YAY! :P Anyway, after about 10 minutes, Tristan came back and said I could go and fetch a heat pad for Katie and apply on her neck and shoulder.

I also had a good time chatting with Peta while she was going through her quad exercises for her knee treatment. She had a car accident 2 years ago, but didn't received proper physio treatment after the surgery, so that's why she was still at the physio clinic 2 years after the accident. Anyway, through chatting, I found out that she was only 2-3 years older than me, and she got a Co-op Scholarship to study mechanical engineering in UNSW and graduated in 2001.

It's nice to know a few friends in the clinic now. I am looking forward to this Saturday's training.

By the way, I am feeling much better now. However, the throat still doesn't feel right. It just itches when it feels like going itchy. Aiyor, so annoying. So I am still coughing a bit, but it's no big deal.

I originally planned to go to training tonight, but I think I should give my body one more day rest just in case it starts to complain profusely and unreasonably again like last week.

Yesterday, I finally picked up the shinai for the first time since last Sunday and did a few multi-step suburi. I finished the suburi off with a humble 50 haya-suburi, and then off to a 1.5 hours of exciting squash game with my uni friends. hehe. My bum and my right shoulder are a bit sore now, but that was so much fun. It was definitely a great cardio workout.

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