Stars and Stripes: Clinic’s message: Maintain your body

Here’s a repost in Dr. Phil’s Article in 2004.

Clinic’s message: Maintain your body

By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, November 3, 2004

The following clarification to this story ran in the Nov. 6 edition of Stars and Stripes: “A Nov. 3 article about a Yongsan Garrison preventive medicine clinic included a photograph and quotations from Dr. Phillip Yoo, a chiropractor. Dr. Yoo runs a private clinic in Seoul and was at the 121st General Hospital as an invited practitioner.”

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — Soldiers constantly are performing preventative maintenance on their vehicles and weapons to ensure they’re in top working order. There’s no reason they shouldn’t do the same to their own bodies.

That was the message medical officials imparted at the 121st General Hospital’s first Total Fitness Clinic, held last week at the Yongsan Garrison hospital.

More than 100 soldiers and civilians signed up for appointments, at which health professionals conducted a free battery of diagnostic tests designed to help prevent injuries before they happen.

“The whole point of this is to assess now, and prevent problems later,” said Maj. Erica Clarkson, chief of physical therapy at the 121.

By giving feedback on things that could help or hinder future health — such as posture, running form, balance — medical officials say they can help prevent unnecessary injuries or help cure chronic pains.

And many of the free tests offered during the clinic are simple ways to diagnose what could be a more serious problem, Clarkson said.

Take, for instance, the balance test. Participants were challenged to stand one-legged on an extremely unstable, discus-shaped rubber pad. The challenge was to see if they could hold their balance for 10 seconds. Just 10 percent of people can keep their balance for the full 10 seconds, the physical therapists said, but even those who don’t succeed can be given feedback.

A complete lack of balance could indicate a problem with their equilibrium or, simply a lack of natural balance.

At another clinic station, Dr. Phillip Yoo was offering posture analysis with a digital camera and a computer. The charts, compiled by comparing the slope of certain areas of the body (shoulders, hips, head), are intended to help participants improve their posture and prevent muscular or nervous-system injuries.

The most common posture problems, Yoo said, include a slight tilting forward of the head and shoulders, frequently found among people who work on computers or in offices. That particular form of bad posture can lead to back and neck problems.

To help prevent it, people should “imagine a helium balloon attached directly above their heads,” Yoo said.

By holding the head upright and keeping the spine as straight as possible, many common maladies can be avoided, Yoo said.

Other tests during the free clinic analyzed flexibility; “gait analysis” to see how peoples’ strides, when walking and running, might hinder their muscles and bones; and foot analysis to recommend appropriate athletic shoes.

Other health clinic stations analyzed simple data directly tied to health: body fat, blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and strength. Taken in totality and with the other measures, clinicians said, participants got a complete picture of their health.

Medical officials say awareness of these health factors has benefits down the road.

“If we see something wrong, if we recognize the symptoms of something larger, we can recommend a course of treatment,” said Clarkson. “It’s always better to catch something before it becomes a serious problem.”

Joseph Giordono / S&S  Dr. Phillip Yoo, a chiropractor, uses a computer modeling program to analyze participants’ posture at the Total Fitness Clinic last week on Yongsan Garrison.

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DR. PHIL BACK STAGE WITH BEYONCE

I have been in the U.S. for the past few weeks and upon my return visit to Korea I had gotten an email asking me

if I could treat the Beyonce crew and staff backstage during her tour in Seoul.

This wasn’t the first time I was offered to treat a world famous musical group.

A few months ago I was asked to treat the Pussy Cat Doll’s at their Hotel and at that time refused as it was a friday night

and I had a long week and was eager to get home to spend time with the wife and kids.

However, the next day I read in the paper that 2 of the Dolls could not even perform due to severe back and knee pain.

I felt guilty that I didn’t use my God given treatment skills that might have been used to get these girls functional and on stage.  Just like what was said in the movie spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

So when I was asked to be the backstage therapist for the Beyonce tour, I didn’t hesitate a second and decided to go with it.

The first day I arrived I got hassled by security for not having an official ID, which the security staff eventually got me.

Because it was the first day nobody seemed to know I was available so I had to hang up some signs to let the crew know that I was available.

After a while  I finally treated some of the sound and stage crew who mostly had lower back pains, and the drummer, who was suffering from tight shoulders.  I asked her how she positioned her drum set, and recommended that they be put in a more ergonomic position to take some stress of her shoulders.

The next day I was alot busier as word got out

that I was available. My first patient was one of Beyonce’s main backup dancers who complained of a misaligned hip. After examining her I discovered that one of her legs was about an inch shorter than the other, and that she would need to wear a heel lift would help even out her balance and hips.

I also treated Beyonce’s production manager, and even the head of security.  The funny thing is that the bodyguard was complaining of having severe muscle spasms in his triceps from overtraining his arms in the gym.  He said he often overdoes it in the gym because he doesn’t want anyone to overpower him in a rumble but ironically he could not even flex or extend his arm against gravity due to the spams!  I had to work about 30 mintues on each arm just to calm down his muscle spasms, and he finally was able to move his arms again without the excruciating pain.  Treating the head of security was the key to getting unlimited access

and the best view in the concert hall which was the side of the stage where you can see everything up close without anyone blocking your view.  I ended up going back and forth between my treatment area and the concert without any hassle from security, as I was now their knew friend. I did eventually get to see Beyonce backstage. When she walked out of her dressing room I thought I was seeing an Angel as she was dressed in a bright white robe and had long wavy hair with a million dollar smile on her face. For some reason they did not allow any reporters

or photographers backstage so it was hard for me to get any good photos, although I did convice one of the bodyguards to take some for me.

There were more crew and performers who needed treatment but as it was getting past my bedtime I quietly slipped out of the back entrance and drove home.  All and all the experience went well. All who were treated seemed to be satisfied, and had benefited from the backstage chiropractic therapy.  The crew still have a long road ahead of them as their next stop will be Beijing, and than off to Dubai, etc… I only hope that they have some good therapist available backstage as I know they will be needing it. From the audience and fans perspective, we only see what goes on stage and do not realize what these performers and backstage crew put their bodys through while touring around the world. I for one can appreciate more what these entertainers and staff go through and know first hand that singing and dancing is not “easy money”, as your body will pay the price.

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Massage Therapy in Seoul, South Korea

Massage Therapy is the practice of soft tissue manipulation with physical, functional, and in some cases psychological purposes and goals. The word comes from the French massage “friction of kneading,” or from Arabic massa meaning “to touch, feel or handle” or from Latin massa meaning “mass, dough”. An older etymology may even have been the Hebrew me-sakj “to anoint with oil”. In distinction the ancient Greek word for massage was anatripsis, and the Latin was frictio.

Massage involves acting on and manipulating the body with pressure – structured, unstructured, stationary, or moving – tension, motion, or vibration, done manually or with mechanical aids. Target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as lymphatic vessels, or organs of the gastrointestinal system. Massage can be applied with the hands, fingers, elbows, forearm, and feet. There are over eighty different recognized massage modalities.  The most cited reasons for introducing massage as therapy have been client demand and perceived clinical effectiveness.

In professional settings massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table, sitting in a massage chair, or lying on a mat on the floor. The massage subject may be fully or partly unclothed. Parts of the body may be covered with towels or sheets.

Massage Menu

Deep Tissue Massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. This type of massage focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. Deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain, are involved in heavy physical activity, such as athletes, and patients who have sustained physical injury.

Myofascial Release refers to the manual massage technique for stretching the fascia and releasing bonds between fascia, integument, and muscles with the goal of eliminating pain, increasing range of motion and equilibrioception. Myofascial release usually involves applying shear compression or tension in various directions, or by skin rolling.

Reflexology Massage is based on the principal that there are reflexes in the hands and feet that relate to every organ, gland, and system of the body.

Sports Massage is a blend of Swedish massage and Shiatsu specifically designed to cater to the needs of professional athletes.

Swedish Massage uses five styles of long, flowing strokes to massage. The five basic strokes are effleurage (light touch), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (compression), and stroking (sexual stimulation). Swedish massage has shown to be helpful in reducing pain, joint stiffness, and improving function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee over a period of eight weeks.[ It has also been shown to be helpful in individuals with poor circulation. The development of Swedish massage is credited to Per Henrik Ling, though the Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger adopted the French names to denote the basic strokes. The term "Swedish" massage is not really known in the country of Sweden, where it is called "classic massage".

Thai Massage is known in Thailand as นวดแผนโบราณ (Nuat phaen boran, IPA [nuɑt pʰɛn boraːn]), meaning “ancient/traditional massage”. Thai massage originated in India and is based on ayurveda and yoga. The technique combines massage with yoga-like positions during the course of the massage; the northern style emphasizes stretching while the southern style emphasizes acupressure.

Trigger Point Therapy is sometimes confused with pressure point massage. Trigger Point Masage involves deactivating trigger points that may cause local pain or refer pain and other sensations, such as headaches, in other parts of the body. Manual pressure, vibration, injection, or other treatment is applied to these points to relieve myofascial pain. Trigger points were first discovered and mapped by Janet G. Travell (President Kennedy’s physician) and David Simons. Trigger points have been photomicrographed and measured electrically, and in 2007 a paper was presented showing images of Trigger Points using MRI]. These points relate to dysfunction in the myoneural junction, also called neuromuscular junction (NMJ), in muscle, and therefore this modality is different from reflexology, acupressure and pressure point massage.

Your Create Wellness Massage Therapists:

1) Verna: Swedish deep tissue massage therapist

2) Rex: Sport and Yoga Thai massage therapist.

3) Ratree: Thai massage therapist

4) Linda: U.S. certified Swedish deep tissue, and Thai massage therapist

Massage Therapy Rates:

40 minutes……. 50,000won
50 minutes……. 60,000won
60 minutes……. 70,000won
90 minutes……. 90,000won
120 minutes……110,000won

10% off discount when prepaying for 10 sessions.
Gift certificates available.

Massage Therapy Hours:
Monday-Friday 9am-7pm
Saturday: 9am-4pm
Sunday:11am-1pm
(all massages are by appointment only)

Location:
Our Seoul Clinic is conveniently located in the Itaewon Shopping Center area just up the street (going toward Hannam) but on the opposite side of the street from the fire station. Our office is on the 1st Floor of the green “ Hannam Building. There is a “Buy the Way” convenience store in the front.
See also attached map.

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First Free Consultation Coupon

Click Here for a coupon for your first free consultation at Create Wellness Center.

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Create Wellness Center Receives an Award

Dr. Phil and team has received an award from the United Nations Command Combined Forces Command United States Forces Korea. Signed by General Walter Sharp and General Sung Chool Lee.

Here is a picture:

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Dr. Phil’s Article from the Bejing Olympics

Dr. Phil was an official sports chiropractor for the World Olympians Association during the 2008  Beijing Olympics.

Here is an article about Dr. Phil’s experience as an Olympic sports chiropractor  in Adobe PDF format:

Beijing Article by Dr. Phil (pdf) – 5 MBs

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