Mr Lee, a high-ranking air force officer in his early forties, came to my clinic after a recommendation from a good friend and football team-mate. He was a short, well-trained, composed and polite man wearing his air force physical training kit. Without me even having to ask, he took off his black trainers and placed them neatly next to the front door.

Three years ago he had suffered a left knee injury during a four-day outdoor physical and mental strengthening programme and had immediately been taken to see a knee specialist. Despite agonising joint pain, there had been no visible swelling, haematoma nor physical joint instability. Because his physically demanding job did not allow him to be immobile for a long time, his doctor had sent him for an MRI. The conclusion: a small tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament.

The treatment recommended was physiotherapy, sufficient rest and limited vigorous activity until the pain had subsided. This did help and he had made progress to the extent that he no longer had pain at rest or during low intensity activity. Unfortunately, he still suffered from pain in the front of his kneecap and his Achilles tendon whenever he tried to run, cycle, play football or trek in the mountains.

Leading From The Front

Despite his calm and gentle personality, he was really frustrated and a little embarrassed about his physical disability. His job as an air force officer required him to train his cadets and, being unable to participate, he often felt that he was just shouting instead of motivating from the front and showing a good example. All he wanted was to get back to pain-free training.

My immediate observation of Mr Lee’s posture and movements did not indicate any muscle imbalance. I noticed, when he had placed his trainers at the door, the left shoe appeared more worn down compared to the right shoe. During the session, the only obvious misalignment was that his left leg was half a centimeter shorter than the right. By releasing his left hip and buttock muscles with a few targeted firm moves, his tight ankle released to almost a full range of motion. Within a couple of minutes, his left hip had readjusted, and both legs were equal lengths.

When the session was finished and he arose from the resulting deep relaxation, he walked with ease and full left ankle mobility. He was amazed how such a gentle touch could make him feel recharged.

Four days later, Mr Lee walked into the clinic with confidence. He announced the knee pain from driving and walking up stairs hadn’t returned. He was very pleased about the improvements and couldn’t wait to start testing his knee and Achilles tendon by running.

Back In The Game

Three days after the third session, Mr Lee phoned, excitingly expressing his sincere gratitude. He had already returned to actively participating in training his cadets in their often physically challenging drills. The frustration of just standing shouting orders was gone; he felt like he was back in the game as general of the command. His knee and Achilles tendon were both pain free, even after lengthy running, cycling and football playing, and he couldn’t wait to take his family on a long trekking holiday in the mountains in two months.

You really can return to your best and enjoy an active, pain-free fulfilled life. It is just one connection away.

A pain-free life is just one connection away. Book an appointment with Else Vistisen

_{This post was first published on Else Vistisen's LinkedIn and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.
Image credit: mountain climber from Shutterstock
Edited by Nedda Chaplin} 

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