| The Pain is Gone
Imagine spending thousands of dollars trying to find out why you can’t walk. It happened to one Central Ohio man… but after a simple treatment, Anthony Sneary is walking again. NewsCenter’s Maria Durant is on your side to explain what made the difference.
The doctor’s couldn’t help him. In fact one doctor told him if he ever found out what caused his leg to stop moving to give him a call. But an ancient healing treatment — made the difference. Something as simple as walking many of us take for granted. But Anthony Sneary knows what it feels like when you can’t stand on your own two feet. “I woke up, I went to get out of bed and went to stand up and ended up falling because my leg was still in bed. I couldn’t feel or move my left leg.”
Five years ago Anthony was involved in a car accident. After that, he never felt the same. He had chronic back pain — troubles lifting — “It was a real difficult time.” And then last September things got worse. “My first thought was I’m never going to walk again.” Anthony spent three months in a wheel chair — visiting doctor after doctor trying to find out why he couldn’t move his left leg. “One doctor even told me I don’t now what’s wrong, but when you find out give me a call.”
At his wits ends– a coworker told him to try acupuncture. Anthony didn’t have anything to lose. “I was nervous– the thought of needles in your back– how do you figure that.”
While acupuncture is a fairly new procedure in the United States — compared to China, where it’s been used for thousands of years. The ancient healing technique is China’s primary form of medicine.
Dr. Xuguang Gao, Registered Acupuncturist: “In china there are more than 400 diseases we can use acupuncture.”
The Chinese believe that different points on the body are connected to different illnesses you may encounter. When the needle is placed in the point– it helps circulate blocked energy. “Let’s say if I pick a point, like this one right here what would that do? This point can help with the tennis elbow the point on the feet we can use for hypertension. For smoking we use the point on the wrist.”
To treat Anthony’s problem — doctor Gao used four needles. “I put a needle in the back of the leg and several points and I use the traditional rotating technique where we use the finger to rotate the needle it’s a special technique.”
“And then he moved the one in my leg and I could feel it. I could feel it turning in my leg.” Sensations he thought he’d never feel again. ” It wasn’t painful, but I could feel it moving in my leg.” Just one simple treatment changed his life. “When I left that first day I was walking.”
It’s been four months since Anthony took those first steps — and he says he’s never felt better. “If I never tried this I could be sitting right here, right now in a wheel chair or using my crutches to get in.” Amazingly, Anthony can walk again.
To see an acupuncturist here in Ohio — you must first have a doctor’s referral. But you can meet doctor Gao at this year’s Asian Festival — NewsCenter is a proud sponsor of the event. |
