Marvels of Acupressure

I started my marathon preparations from December second week onwards. It was exciting to prepare for a long run. I was keen about noting time, distance and speed. The first time all I could run was 1.5Km which took me 10:56mins to complete. It was an easy run. I ran thrice every week and increased by 1Km by the end of the week. I went on well until 4.5Km. I took around 6mins/Km which I consider good enough for me. But then one sad day, this disaster had to happen :'(

Don't know when and how exactly it happened. I did not twist my leg anywhere, may be running at this rate was not fair enough for my flat feet. My right ankle started aching. I knew something was awry. As always, I neglected it and thought it would be fine in a day or two. So, again after 2 days I set out to run. But this time I could only run half a kilometer. Something was seriously wrong and I knew I had to listen to my feet. I went back home immediately and applied some oil and massaged my foot. Alas, it didn't help much. After few days, we got an ankle guard which supported my foot and helped me to some extent. Adarsh insisted that we go to a doctor, but I was reluctant and lazy as always. Pills never worked on my foot ever. I have had sprains and pain in my foot earlier. But they always heal themselves.

15 days of pain and it was high time I do something than just massage, internet guidance, multivitamin tablets and pain killers. Adarsh's manager, an athlete himself, suggested to go to a Chinese Acupressure Center who was specialized in bone ache, muscle pain and sprains.

I now either had to go to the doctor or try this new stuff. Going to the doctor only makes me gulp more tablets. Yuck!!! I hate pills. So, I did some research on the web about Chinese acupressure and thought it was best to give it a try.

We took an appointment and headed towards China Town after work.
The treatment was 25minutes of massage and it cost $20.

The specialist studied my feet and asked if I had any history of sprains or fractures. He soon learnt the exact point of pain. It was amazing. He applied pressure with his thumb and forefinger. Of course it hurt a lot when he pressed at the point where the pain originated. He kept saying "no pain no gain" every 10 minutes. :) I had to bear the pain. He continued applying pressure in different rhythms for nearly 40minutes with his aromatic massage oil.

To my surprise, he could pin-point the pain which I myself did not know. Earlier, I simply massaged my sore foot with visible green veins which had popped up due to strain. He then advised me to take 7-10 days rest though I could carry out my usual activities the normal way. I was advised not to run long-runs for next few days. He almost promised me that the pain would reduce soon.

We returned back home feeling satisfied. A 25 minute massage, which he actually did for almost 45 effective minutes. This was the best treatment I have ever had. The pain during the massage actually made me feel good. Because, now I knew the precise point where it hurts. I knew the pain would soon vanish. I had a good sleep and as you would expect, it was less painful the following days. Now, a week after the treatment, the pain is gone. I would rate 10 on 10 for the wonderful service provided at Chinese Acupressure Centre.







Thanks Eric!