A competent doctor can cure everything

‘Oh, could it be?’

The moment I saw his name and his lean build, someone came to mind.

The man across from me introduced himself.

“I’m the cousin of Young-jin Hyung. I’m Park Young-jin, who was treated by you not long ago. My brother spoke so highly of you that even though it’s a bit far, I came here.”

“Now that you mention it, you do resemble each other.”

“People say that. And it seems it’s not just in appearance.”

“?”

Seeing my puzzled look, he answered somewhat awkwardly.

“Hyung is a game YouTuber. I’m a professional gamer.”

“I see.”

It seems that online gaming is indeed a realm of talent.

Seeing that both cousins are good at gaming.

“I’m lucky. Even though I arrived late, I got to see you thanks to the filming. Moreover, I met Dr. Seon Joon right away. I was debating whether to make a separate request. Anyway, the reason I came here today is….”

“Hold on, patient. Let me guess.”

At that, not only the patient but everyone observing widened their eyes in surprise.

The head of the PR team, excited, whispered to the cameraman to zoom in.

Normally, I listen to all of the patient’s words without interruption, but this is a filming session.

‘A bit of showmanship is needed here.’

“Did you come because your right wrist hurts?”

“Gasp! That’s right! How did you know?”

“And it seems like you’ve been suffering from this problem for a while.”

“……! That’s right too! No matter which hospital or clinic I visit, I haven’t found much relief.”

Mr. Seok-jin, surprised, reflexively wrapped his right wrist with his left hand, while the PR team members murmured in admiration.

Glancing sideways, I saw the professor’s eyes filled with curiosity, clearly entertained.

“Mr. Seok-jin, your shoulders are tilted to the right. That indicates that you’re right-handed.”

At this, the patient looked down at his shoulders.

His right shoulder was noticeably lower than his left.

“But even so, Mr. Seok-jin, you usually use your left hand to operate your phone. That’s likely because of an issue with your right hand.”

“……! That’s right. Using my right hand for the phone causes a tingling sensation in my wrist.”

“And you mentioned that your profession is a pro gamer. That means you must frequently use your right hand for the keyboard or mouse. Furthermore, while talking with me, you unconsciously kept rubbing your opposite wrist with your left hand.”

“Wow… How did you know that this condition has been ongoing for a long time?”

“If holding a phone is already burdensome, the condition must be quite advanced. Plus, the fact that you traveled all the way here despite the distance indicates a high level of urgency. So, I deduced that the severity of your condition is quite high.”

“Wow. You’re like a real fortune-teller.”

Mr. Seok-jin marveled at my insights.

The PR team also reacted with excitement, mouthing “Amazing” among themselves.

“Everything you said is correct. I was diagnosed with ‘carpal tunnel syndrome’ in my right wrist a while ago.”

Carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome refers to various symptoms caused by the narrowing of the tunnel (canal) in the wrist.

Underneath the skin of the wrist, there is a passage made of bones and ligaments.

When this passage narrows or is compressed, the “median nerve” passing through it gets pressed, causing problems.

The main symptoms are tingling and reduced sensation in the hand.

You might also experience weakness in the wrist, making it hard to grip objects or perform certain movements. These symptoms often worsen at night.

Since the median nerve does not control the little finger, if only the other fingers are affected, it is more indicative of this condition.

“So, shall we check if it’s carpal tunnel syndrome?”

“Yes? Here and now? Don’t we need special equipment for that?”

“There’s a simple test that can be done in a minute.”

This was my attempt to be considerate, aware of the camera.

I explained it in detail, thinking it might make good content.

“Patient, please follow my instructions. Bend both wrists at a 90-degree angle and place the backs of both hands together, yes, like that. We’ll wait in that position for 60 seconds.”

As the patient assumed the position, I continued to talk to keep the audio engaging.

“This is called the ‘Phalen’s test.’ If you experience pain or tingling in your hand, it may suggest carpal tunnel syndrome. This position mimics the narrowing of the carpal tunnel in the wrist.”

“Oh, I see. …Doctor, my hand is tingling.”

“In that case, it seems like you have carpal tunnel syndrome. In traditional Oriental medicine, it’s treated as a type of ‘bi syndrome’ (Paralysis), which means tingling, or ‘ma-mok’, which indicates stiffness and numbness.”

The head of the promotional team watched the scene with satisfaction and gave me an OK sign when our eyes met.

This seemed much better than the one-man show I had done earlier.

“Doctor, is this treatable? As I mentioned, I’ve been to various places without any improvement, which is why I came here.”

“Hmm, it seems the recovery is slow due to your profession.”

“That’s what I think too, but I can’t just stop working. Some hospitals even suggested surgery. But if the recovery is slow or there are aftereffects, I might have to retire as a professional gamer, so I really want to avoid surgery.”

Considering the patient’s profession, it’s understandable why he would be concerned about post-surgery complications.

Even if I’m not sure, as a professional gamer, the quick reaction time of his right hand must be crucial, so I understand his reluctance toward surgery.

“Well, then we should try all possible treatments. In Oriental medicine, carpal tunnel syndrome is treated with acupuncture, herbal medicine, pharmacopuncture, chuna therapy, and physical therapy. Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture reduce inflammation and relax the muscles around the wrist. Herbal medicine will be used to strengthen the muscles and joints.”

“Uh… So, does that mean I’ll be getting acupuncture around my wrist?”

The patient hesitated and asked, looking uneasy.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Um, Doctor, is it possible to skip the acupuncture and only use other treatments?”

“?”

Everyone looked at him with confusion at his unexpected request.

To come to an Oriental medicine hospital and refuse acupuncture?

If he wants to cure his condition, he should be open to trying everything.

Then, Seok-jin shyly shared his story.

“Well… actually, I had acupuncture at another place a few days ago, and it caused neuritis at the site. So, I’d prefer not to have acupuncture.”

“Acupuncture caused neuritis?”

“Yes, the spot where I had the acupuncture became more sore and painful. When I went to a neurosurgery department, they said it was neuritis.”

“……”

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

It’s understandable that this situation is problematic, even if it’s not our fault.

Having content in the promotional video about “side effects from acupuncture” is definitely not ideal.

The promotional team decided to pause the filming and discuss the situation.

“Ugh, the mood was so good, but we can’t use this footage now.”

“Should we just edit out that part?”

“That would be weird too. Skipping acupuncture without a specific reason seems odd.”

“Dr. Seon, what should we do?”

“They seem to be looking for a good solution from you.”

The promotional team asked for my opinion with hopeful faces.

But before I could say anything, Professor Yeon jumped in first.

His expression had been sour ever since hearing about the neuritis.

“Hmm, let’s film a different patient’s consultation. Since we’re running out of time today, let’s reschedule the shooting for another day. I’m sorry to everyone for today.”

Seok-jin was also flustered by the sudden change in mood.

“What about me then? Will I not get treatment today?”

Professor Yeon stepped forward to talk with the patient.

“How many days ago did you get the acupuncture?”

“About 4 or 5 days ago.”

“So the stiffness and numbness have persisted since then? Has it improved at all?”

“It’s better than at first.”

“In that case, the symptoms should disappear within 1 or 2 weeks. Come back after the neuritis has completely healed.”

“Oh… I came all the way from far away…”

As I listened to the conversation between the professor and the patient, I felt uneasy.

‘Neuritis from acupuncture?’

The situation itself seemed odd.

Usually, a thin needle with a 0.2mm diameter, like those used in traditional Korean medicine, does not cause nerve damage.

In contrast, commonly used injection needles are about 1.0mm in diameter, so the traditional needles are as fine as a hair.

Additionally, acupoints like Neiguan, through which the median nerve passes, would be treated with extra care by an acupuncturist.

‘This is basic knowledge for anyone who has received proper training in traditional Korean medicine.’

Unless excessively thick and long needles were used inappropriately, the likelihood of developing neuritis is extremely low.

And then, the small, round scars visible here and there on the patient’s wrist.

They are not noticeable unless you look closely, but the white discoloration of the skin is clearly from burns.

‘Could it be…?’

With that thought, one suspicion arose.

But if I asked vaguely, the patient might not answer honestly.

To catch the patient off guard, I needed to be certain myself.

I fiddled with the frames of my glasses.

Until now, I had used the glasses’ ability to see the patient’s prognosis, or future.

However, I had recently confirmed that the glasses could also show the past based on the user’s intention.

It seemed this was exactly when I needed them.

“Mr. Park Seok-jin.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve come all this way, so let’s at least check your pulse.”

“Alright, then.”

The patient looked frustrated at the thought of having come for nothing, but he extended his wrist as if trying to show a minimum of courtesy.

I extended my fingers and felt for the strong pulse in his wrist.

Meanwhile, the promotion team resumed filming, capturing this scene.

‘……’

Why did Mr. Park Seok-jin develop neuritis?

As I focused on what I wanted to know and touched his wrist,

all the conditions were met, and fragments of various scenes swirled in my mind.

I saw Mr. Park Seok-jin visiting an apartment home with a middle-aged woman who appeared to be his mother.

Upon entering the house, they were greeted by an elderly man in traditional Oriental clothing with a full head of white hair.

In one of the rooms, faded acupuncture charts were scattered on the wall, and the air was hazy with the smoke of burning moxa.

Several people were already lying on blankets spread out on the floor, making the room quite crowded.

When Mr. Park Seok-jin awkwardly sat in the spot indicated by the old man, the old man took something resembling needles out of an acupuncture case.

“Hah…”

A sigh of frustration escaped me as the scenario unfolded as expected.

“Huh? Doctor, is my pulse very bad?”

Not knowing what was on my mind, Mr. Park Seok-jin asked worriedly.

It seemed he had misunderstood my sigh for something else.

“Sir, the problem isn’t with your pulse right now.”

“What?”

“Be honest with me.”

I looked Mr. Park Seok-jin straight in the eyes and asked,

“Did you receive illegal acupuncture treatments from an unqualified person?”