Get treated early by registered practitioners

IT IS really very disheartening to read about an 11-year-old boy whose both legs were amputated. It is very important for people to seek proper treatment before it is too late.

I wish to share some experiences. About four years ago, my wife experienced pain in her leg and pelvis and also numbness in that leg.

Her friends told her that she needed massages to improve her blood circulation. She went for a month but the pains worsened. A relative of hers came to know of her condition and recommended she see his nephew, an orthopaedic consultant in a public hospital.

He referred my wife to his colleague, a spine specialist. After conducting some tests, he told us that my wife needed surgery very urgently. She was operated on and can walk without pain although her walking is slower now.

A few years ago, my left knee hurt so much I could barely walk. A relative recommended a “sifu” whom he said could help me. He told me the sifu would use a stick and beat my body to improve the blood circulation which would then relieve my pain.

I ignored him and went to see my wife relative’s nephew, the orthopaedic specialist. He x-rayed my knee and told me that the cartilage in my knee was worn out because of excessive exercise. He said he could inject some medicine to lubricate my knee cap.

However, before he did that, he asked me to try taking glucosamine tablets and fish oil and see whether they would improve the condition of my knee. He also advised me to exercise everyday by hanging my leg on a bar and swinging it daily to loosen the tightness in my leg muscles. He gave me painkillers to relieve the pain when I performed those exercises. My knee improved gradually and returned to normal after several months.

That was about five years ago and I am able to walk now without any pain.

Then, there was the case of a relative who was diabetic and had an ulcer on one of her legs which was not healing.

Her friends told her that if she sought treatment at a hospital, her leg could be amputated. They recommended she try alternative treatment. She stayed in that place for about 25 days and her wound was cleaned daily by the man run- ning the place using herbs.

Then one night, her temperature shot up and the man called her husband to take her to a hospital. The doctors at the public hospital told her husband that gangrene had set in and the leg had to be amputated.

Her husband transferred her to a private hospital and they said the same. She lost her leg and the family regretted not seeking proper treatment right from the start.

I hope people will seek proper treatment for their ailments. There are many traditional medicines and procedures that are effective. But people must seek treatment from accredited and registered practitioners.