My wife has been having pain in her left shoulder joint for a few days and wants to go for a massage.
Speaking of massage for pain, an acupuncture and moxibustion clinic would really be the best choice, but there were none nearby, even after checking the Internet. So we decided to go to an osteopathic clinic about a 10-minute walk from our house.
We went to "Takahashi Osteopathic Clinic" at 9:30 in the rain, but they said they only open by appointment on Sundays. I managed to get an appointment at 11:50 a.m., so I decided to go back home and come back again.
I know that people who play sports may go to an osteopathic clinic for dislocations, etc., but this is the first time my wife and I have been to an osteopathic clinic. So we don't know what kind of treatment they do. If it were a hospital, they would probably take X-rays and give us injections.
At an osteopathic clinic, of course, the treatment begins after a medical interview.
I thought they would give me a massage, but it seems that they use electrotherapy to relieve the pain.
Electrotherapy is said to be effective in relieving pain by blocking the nerves that transmit pain and stimulating blood flow by applying weak electricity to the complete area.
However, it does not have an immediate effect like injections or painkillers, so it seems to take some time.
Soon after my wife started the treatment, a father came to the hospital holding a crying little girl about 3 years old. He had twisted his left elbow in some way and dislocated the joint.
The director quickly soothed him and examined the situation by touching his arm and slowly stretching and bending his elbow for several minutes. Finally, he had the girl raise her arm to confirm that it did not hurt.
It is said that children can dislocate their elbow joints at the slightest movement.
Because of this, my wife's 10-minute electrotherapy session turned out to be about 40 minutes, and I felt as if I had benefited from the extra 30 minutes of electrotherapy. The treatment cost was 1,200 yen because it was covered by insurance.
I was not sure how to say the Japanese phrase "Lie on your stomach" or "Lie on your face" in English. I immediately said "sleep face down," but it seems that the correct phrase is "Lie on your stomach" or "Lie on your face.
