The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 274

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 274

Not long after Go Youngsik went up to Seoul saying he would try to persuade them, I ended up meeting Ha Dohyeon.

“Hello, Clinic Director. I’ve heard a lot about you from Team Leader.”

Ha Dohyeon bowed politely as he entered the examination room.

With his pale, small face, distinct features, and lean yet tall build – he was the perfect idol type.

Having lived like a shut-in for a while, the man with hair covering even near his eyes gave a bashful smile.

“I strongly advocated for this at the company. I’ll stay at a nearby hotel for 3 months and focus on treatment.”

Go Youngsik seemed to hold quite a high position at the entertainment agency.

So his promise to Seol Yuhui wasn’t just empty sales talk after all.

“I didn’t expect you to go this far… I’m truly grateful. Please take good care of me.”

Ha Dohyeon bowed once to Go Youngsik in thanks, then bowed to me again asking for my care.

According to what I heard from Go Youngsik, he was originally a very bright friend.

“I’ve heard the general situation. I’ve also reviewed the MRI images in advance. Joint contracture has been confirmed, along with limited range of motion, pain, and discomfort. Is that correct?”

“Yes. Both bending and straightening are still very difficult.”

Even as he spoke with a slight smile, deep depression showed on his face moment by moment.

Even though we hadn’t had much conversation yet, he looked like he might cry at any moment.

Would empty words like “don’t cry, it’ll get better” really be comforting?

I began the examination while moving Ha Dohyeon’s knee.

“Let’s check your range of motion first.”

When he actively flexed on his own, it only bent about 90 degrees.

Only when I applied force and pulled it to the limit did we get about 120 degrees of flexion range.

Even from that position, straightening the knee on his own wasn’t easy.

Thunk. Thunk thunk. Thunk.

The sounds when I pulled his leg by hand to straighten the knee clearly indicated adhesions had formed in the tissues around the knee – joint capsule, ligaments, muscles, etc.

“The MRI looks fine. There’s no excessive formation of scar tissue, and they said re-surgery isn’t necessary. They told me to take the long view and continue rehabilitation, but it seems like there’s been almost no improvement for the past two or three months.”

Ha Dohyeon’s lips trembled as he explained the current situation.

From my perspective too, the clinical symptoms clearly showed stiffness, but there were no abnormal areas on the MRI images.

“I have no disagreement with the diagnosis. What kind of treatment have you been doing so far?”

“I did what they told me – bending and straightening exercises, muscle strengthening exercises, walking, going up and down stairs. But it was almost useless…”

Ha Dohyeon added that he had actually almost given up by now.

That was understandable.

After 10 months of rehabilitation, anyone would be exhausted, and the sense of futility would be great given how hard he’d worked with high expectations.

“You do need to continue rehabilitation exercises. We’ll connect you with a hospital we have an MOU with.”

I planned to make a referral to the rehabilitation department at Sowon General Hospital.

“From now on, traditional Korean medicine treatment will be added on top of that. Have you ever tried acupuncture?”

“Two or three times when I had minor injuries.”

We had a lot to do on our end too.

“We’ll do all necessary treatments – not just acupuncture, but also pharmacopuncture, thread embedding, etc. We’ll inject pharmacopuncture directly into the joint cavity targeting inflammation reduction and joint lubrication. For stiffened ligaments and muscles, we’ll use basic acupuncture, and if needed based on progress, we’ll also use knife-needle therapy. Thread embedding will be applied to weakened muscles, and we’ll proceed with Chuna manual therapy to improve range of motion.”

We’d be using every tool available.

As I explained to Ha Dohyeon specifically what treatments we’d do, I mentioned the costs to Go Youngsik.

Go Youngsik thumped his chest saying the company would cover everything, so not to worry.

“There’s still a lot left that hasn’t been tried.”

As I showed and explained the treatment tools, Ha Dohyeon also showed interest.

I went ahead and explained the medicine too.

“Right? On top of that, we’ll prescribe herbal medicine. It’ll include blood stasis-removing agents for eliminating blood stasis and improving circulation, so it won’t taste very good.”

Since the target was orthopedic symptoms, I planned to use symptomatic medicine that removes blood stasis as the base, while adding some tonic herbs that enhance the body’s own recovery ability.

Once blood stasis was somewhat removed, I’d switch the main focus to qi and blood supplementation.

“Blood stasis?”

“When inflammation persists after injury and blood circulation stagnates, that’s what we call it in traditional Korean medicine. Just think of it as medicine that reduces inflammation and relaxes muscles.”

Blood stasis, narrowly speaking, is bruising.

Broadly speaking, it encompasses things that clump together without circulating.

It’s sometimes expressed in rather difficult terms – like blood flow being blocked and remaining within the meridians, or blood leaking outside the meridians and accumulating in tissue spaces.

I kept it short since young patients aren’t familiar with explanations about meridians and such.

But Ha Dohyeon actually showed interest in that aspect.

“So it gets better by clearing blockages of stagnant blood… If I receive this treatment, will I be able to dance?”

His eyes lit up for a moment, then he flinched and lowered his head.

The voice that had briefly shown vitality soon sank again.

“Oh, of course I don’t expect something that hasn’t healed all this time to get better quickly. Well, anyway, since we’ve decided to do this… I’ll work hard at it. Should I come every day?”

“I don’t expect it to heal” – at first glance, this could be words that might displease a doctor.

But even if I hadn’t known Ha Dohyeon’s circumstances, I wouldn’t have misunderstood it that way.

These were words he was saying to himself.

He was trying not to have expectations, trying and trying again, while still grasping that last remaining thread.

In truth, it was the appearance of someone who couldn’t help but harbor hope.

“Yes. Initially, I’ll treat you as frequently as possible. Until we see changes of some kind.”

He was a patient who had trusted me and come all the way to Busan from the edge of a cliff.

I had no intention of treating him half-heartedly either.

“Treatment will make you better.”

As much as Ha Dohyeon’s voice was trembling.

“You’ll be able to bend more than now, you’ll be able to straighten on your own, and you’ll develop stability that can handle some impact.”

In contrast, I spoke clearly.

“But for now, don’t look too far ahead. You’ll get exhausted. I’ll draw up the treatment plan and the big picture, so Dohyeon, you just think about coming to the clinic tomorrow and being able to bend your legs a little more.”

Even when gaming, looking at the remaining experience points to reach a certain level feels overwhelming, but you reach it by completing divided quests one by one… No, this comparison doesn’t seem appropriate for this guy.

Even complex martial arts start with simple basic moves? Yeah, this would be better.

“When you dance, each movement of stepping and moving your body combines to complete complex movements, right? Don’t look too far ahead and get disappointed in advance, but focus on accomplishing the tasks right in front of you one by one. Before you know it, you’ll have improved.”

I spoke somewhat boldly and definitively.

I firmly pulled the thin thread that Ha Dohyeon was holding onto.

I will definitely produce results.

“Ah…”

Ha Dohyeon suddenly had a face as if he had gained enlightenment.

Go Youngsik clenched his fists tightly.

“That’s right. I was only thinking about strengthening my core while doing planks, but by following what the Clinic Director told me to do, I became able to stand with my back straight.”

Ha Dohyeon quickly turned his head to look at Go Youngsik, who had chimed in to support me.

Reassuringly, he was indeed sitting up straight.

“I understand. I’ll only think about bending and straightening my knees a little more. I’ll leave everything to you, Clinic Director.”

That’s how we established rapport.

And began Ha Dohyeon’s treatment.

* * *

After physical therapy ended, acupuncture treatment followed as explained in the examination room.

Although I mentioned various tools, since loosening the adhered parts was the top priority in the early stages, acupuncture, herbal injections, and chuna therapy were scheduled.

“It’s going in deep…”

I injected herbal medicine into the concave areas below the knees, the bilateral knee depressions, into the joint cavity.

“Is it bearable?”

“Yes. It doesn’t hurt much.”

I placed needles in the muscles that were rigidly imbalanced.

“Exhale completely.”

Naturally, treatment was performed using acupoints.

Xuehai (Blood Sea) – the name itself means sea of blood. It’s widely used for resolving blood stasis and improving blood circulation, and being located on the inner thigh, it’s an acupoint with proximal needling effects.

Zusanli (Leg Three Miles) is also located on the outer side of the tibia, a point that helps qi and blood circulation.

Sanyinjiao (Three Yin Intersection) is on the inner calf, Taichong (Great Rushing) is on the top of the foot. These two points regulated the meridians from distal locations.

“Okay, we’ll stay like this for 20 minutes.”

As I guided Ha Dohyeon’s breathing and moved his qi and blood like this.

“Oh, huh? It seems like it’s bending… a little more.”

When doing chuna therapy after the acupuncture treatment ended, some improvement in range of motion was immediately visible.

Ha Dohyeon found it very fascinating, but it was a natural result.

He hadn’t done rehabilitation for several days and then did it, plus lubricating fluid had been injected, so naturally some muscle rigidity would improve, wouldn’t it?

“Yes. Let’s try to gradually increase the changes with cumulative treatment before it adheres again.”

I finished the first day’s treatment while encouraging future visits.

Ha Dohyeon endured with composure even though there were painful procedures in between.

“Ugh, ughhhhh.”

In contrast, Go Youngsik couldn’t hold back his screams.

Since there was a little time left, I looked at Go Youngsik’s exercises too… He’s a fellow who works very diligently and is thoughtful, but his muscles were far too weak.

Watching me instill a sense of urgency about Go Youngsik’s core muscles.

Pfft, Ha Dohyeon laughed genuinely for the first time since coming to Busan.

* * *

When Team Leader Go Youngsik suggested going all the way to Busan for treatment, Ha Dohyeon was extremely surprised.

Because there was a famous doctor there?

No, it was much more surprising that the company hadn’t given up on Ha Dohyeon yet and was willing to make additional investments.

The talk about letting him debut solo was naturally something he thought was just empty words to console him since he was having such a hard time.

But the team leader came to him saying they should try treatment to the end.

And the company really spared no support.

– Don’t look too far ahead and get disappointed in advance, but focus on accomplishing things one by one.

Somehow it reminded him of when he first started dancing.

When he was young, there was a time when he focused on achieving each movement by following choreography one by one while watching videos.

Before he knew it, complex dances would be completed.

‘When did it start?’

After becoming a trainee, at some point, all of life had become a process for some future moment.

Efforts to debut as an idol.

There had been days when I was happy just practicing and achieving things moment by moment, even without having to force myself.

I had forgotten all of that and thought it had all become meaningless.

‘Let me focus on what I can do from now on. Starting with moving my knee a little more.’

If I still couldn’t dance later even after doing that… well, something would work out.

As Go Youngsik had comforted me countless times, there’s no law saying I have to die, so opportunities would come somehow.

I’d leave the big picture regarding treatment to the clinic director.

As for debut-related plans, I could temporarily leave them to the company until I recovered, or just let things flow as they would – that would be fine.

“Why, why does it bend this far?”

And unbelievably.

My knee, which hadn’t moved beyond a certain range for two or three months, bent slightly more.

The clinic director spoke as if what was supposed to get better had naturally gotten better.

But Ha Dohyeon had thought his knee had stiffened and would never be able to move freely again.

“Our treatment is just beginning now. Tomorrow will be even better.”

But the clinic director said it was a beginning, not an end.

That I would recover much, much more.

“Is the herbal medicine tolerable?”

“It’s bitter.”

“Haha, medicine that’s good for the body is supposed to be bitter.”

“Yes… if it means getting better. Life is more bitter.”

“This young guy has something to say about everything!”

I took the medicine.

“How’s the rehabilitation hospital?”

“What we do is similar, but the teachers seem to look after me more thoroughly than the place I went to in Seoul.”

I continued rehabilitation treatment at the hospital.

“Today we’ll do thread lifting. It might throb for a day or two.”

“Yes, that’s fine. I’m good at enduring pain.”

I received the amazing treatment of inserting threads into my thigh muscles.

Every time I went to the oriental medicine clinic, the director welcomed me and provided various treatments, which was somewhat… somewhat interesting.

“How’s your condition today?”

“It’s become much more flexible!”

At first it was just a very slight angle, but gradually noticeable changes began to show.

The remaining swelling completely went down, and the pain when going up and down stairs disappeared.

The unsettling clicking sound whenever I extended my knee was still there a little, but the frequency had definitely decreased.

“All the blood stasis has cleared out. I’ll change it to a tonic-type medicine. Let’s work hard until stability is restored.”

“Yes, thank you!”

Go Youngsik traveled between Seoul and Busan, constantly caring for Ha Dohyeon.

The agency CEO also called to check in, saying he’d heard the news that I was getting better.

My parents came down and we did some Busan sightseeing together.

Even if I couldn’t debut, I realized day by day that there were really many people who cared about Ha Dohyeon.

Like that.

While I couldn’t yet harbor hope for the distant future.

But I wasn’t in despair either, continuing treatment in that state.

“There’s an audition program that K-Net is planning on quite a large scale this time – if you’re okay with it, would you like to try participating?”

Really, a completely unexpected opportunity came once again.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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