Last year, my (smoking hot) physician moved to Portland because his wife wanted to do a residency at OHSU. I've spent the last year hating Oregon, and not getting a new physician.
Last week, I finally relented on both my Oregon hatred and lack-of-physician. I figured I needed a doctor to just look me over, tell me to lose some weight, and address a few minor problems I've been having recently avoiding for the past year.
One issue in particular centered on periodic knee pain. A previous doctor had once noticed that my left foot was "completely flat, with no arch support whatsoever." She had also indicated that my right foot was only marginally better off. "Someday," she said, "You'll have to deal with that."
Friday was apparently that day. My new doctor and I, after exchanging pleasantries for a few minutes, got down to work. Within fifteen minutes of a "hip, knee, and ankle" exam, he announced that my knees were in perfect health, but that my feet and left hip weren't.
"This is an issue that lies solely with the arch support - or lack thereof - in your feet," he said, "and we could treat it dramatically or, as I prefer, gradually."
Step-by-step, he said, we'd try and correct an apparent knee misalignment. First: general orthotics (shoe inserts). He recommended a few brands, and even a shop near my house that sold them. If, after a few months, the pain still came back periodically, we'd move on to custom-fit orthotics and physical therapy to breathe life back into several muscles on my left side that I've apparently never used (though all other people do when they walk).
I was so relieved. When I first walked in there, I'd feared he'd be signing me up for knee surgery next week or something. To hear that my knees were indeed healthy, and that the problem lie in the already-known defect of my feet was a tremendous relief. Plus, I was happy thus far with my new physician. He was just as approachable and friendly as the last (albeit not nearly as handsome).
But, on my way out, his stock dropped dramatically with this piece of advice:
"Oh, and by the way, James: some yoga would work wonders for this problem as well, and probably help all that muscle tension as well."
God, I miss the Midwest.
Posted by James at April 28, 2008 08:33 PM