A bone to pick with aches and pains
DISCOVERING we have a natural gift or talent to excel in our calling or vocation has always been an exciting part of our lives.
Whether it lies in something we became passionate about such as the performing arts, including dancing, singing and acting, or in other attributes we never thought we had, the feeling of discovering the forte that lies beneath the surface can be overwhelming.
For world renowned bone-setting specialist Grandmaster Prof Dato Dr Chris Leong, he discovered he had a special gift at a tender age which, later in life, proved to be something pretty much out of the ordinary as it could bring happiness and good health to others -- something he has always been grateful for.
It all started when he was seven years old. One evening, he was left at home by his parents who had gone out for dinner. The couple were famous bone-setters and physicians.
An old lady came to their house the same evening, seeking treatment. Leong told her his parents were not home. He dared not open the door and requested the ailing elder to come back the next day.
But she refused to budge, saying she had come from Semenyih which was very far from their house.
“I told the old lady I didn’t know how to do the treatment. But she reminded me I once did it for her when I was younger.
“She also said she wasn’t able to walk but could move about like normal after the treatment. So she wanted me to give her the same treatment,” Dr Leong said.
He remembered the old lady saying: “Your mother actually did nothing for me -- it was just you. You did the treatment and your mother just helped to check a little bit, so actually I could walk because of you.”
The acknowledgment made the young Leong very happy. It ignited a life-long passion that has led to a successful career as a bone-setting specialist.
He recalled: “Later, my parents came back and I told them I had just performed a treatment they taught me since I was a young boy, to the old lady. My parents looked at each other, smiled and said I could keep the money received for the treatment.”
With the RM25 he got, Leong bought a bunch of mechanical pencils, costing RM2.50 each.
“I bought 10, kept two and gave the rest to my friends. That time, I learned that when you could actually help people, you would be rewarded in many ways and you could also share your happiness with other people.
“So, the experience was really meaningful. From then on,
I continued to help my mother a lot.” Own patients
At age 12, Leong, already quite well-known for his participation in various school activities and his cordial relations with his teachers, started to have his own patients.
“One day, during a physical education (PE) programme, a boy twisted his ankle, playing football. I offered to help, and from there on, I started learning more about how to manipulate and set bones,” he said.
As he gained more knowledge and experience, Leong’s treatment was increasingly sought after.
Between ages 18 and 20, he started touring the world, and recently landed in Miri where thesundaypost had the opportunity to interview him.
At age 22, Leong opened his own centre -- CLM Bone Setting Centre -- at Sunway Damansara, Selangor, followed by a branch at Midvalley Boulevard in Kuala Lumpur.
Leong was introduced to the Chinese art of healing by his parents who, in turn, learned and mastered it from their early generations.
“In the old days, a lion dance association was also stationed at our house which saw a lot of martial art activities at the time. The participants usually ended up with a lot of injuries.
“That was when I started to pick up the Chinese art of healing or bone-setting -- better known as Tit Tar.
“My parents encouraged me and my siblings to learn this art,” Leong, the youngest of the four siblings, said, reiterating that he started practising Tit Tar at seven.
“All my siblings and their children are also practising various types of Tit Tar. My parents have done a very good job teaching us. We are always reminded that success only comes with hard work.” Lower back problems
Leong remembers when he was young, people usually had problems with their lower backs -- from carrying heavy objects.
“Today, in the Millennial Age, not many people have problems with their lower backs but more with the necks.
“This could have been contributed by the excessive use of smart phones which can cause headache, migraine or numbness of hands and neck pain.”
He is also well-known for treating neck, shoulder and knee problems, using his distinctive manipulation-align-technique which is very much faster and different from western treatment techniques.
According to him, treating the body is not very difficult because the body has 206 bones but a lot of people misalign the bones which later affects the muscles, tendons and blood circulation, causing pain.
“So, what we do is manipulate the bones back so that the blood can flow and the muscles can regain balance and smoothen the tendons. The bones are the mechanisms of the joint movements,” he explained.
On the demand for his treatment, Leong said it had been very encouraging, noting that it lessened the need for injection, surgery and medication.
“We’re more on natural healing and manipulation, focusing on internal injuries, including fractures, inflammations and twisted parts.”
Now, at 42, Leong has an impressive resume, having treated famous people from more than 60 countries – royalties, government ministers, superstars and celebrities.
Many physiotherapists and cardiopractors have also acknowledged his skills, including those used in treating children with celebral palsy.
“So, actually we treat patients not only because of their sickness, but also like family members.
“Usually, I take about 10 minutes to treat patients. It isn’t about the time, it’s about getting patients to feel better,” he said.
Asked where he sees himself five to 10 years from now, Leong said he hoped by then, he would have had spread the Chinese art of healing globally.
“Spreading this art of healing has always been my passion and I’m happy I can make everyone feel better.”
Today, he has a big team of dedicated apprentices whom he acknowledged have done a very good job.
“I would also like to get more actively involved in charity and increase the number of apprentices to ensure the practice of this art of healing will continue and not fade away.
“I’m also looking forward to the inclusion of this practice in the school co-curriculum,” Leong said, adding that he practised the art of healing to help people feel pain-free.
After touring the world, including a stopover in Miri, he said he would expect to teach more international apprentices, at the same time, starting a young or teenager programme.
“I’m also planning to visit many third world countries, including Bhutan, Mongolia, Cambodia and Myanmar, to do charity and help the needy.
As what he has been saying, passion breeds happiness, happiness breeds positive energy and positive energy brings speedy recovery.
This has held true for Dr Chris Leong and he has chosen to keep it that way.
For more information on Leong and his treatment, visit https:// clmethod.com