A competent doctor can cure everything

After examining Ji Young-sook, all I could do was wait for practice to end while observing the players.

‘Since I’ve come this far, I can’t just examine one person and leave.’

I focused on observing the players’ movements.

Captain Jeong Ho-jeong furrows her brow when she lifts her arms.

It seems that pain occurs when she flexes and abducts her right shoulder.

Foreign player Emma appears to have poor jumping ability.

I suspect a common injury, a torn knee ligament.

If left untreated and it worsens, requiring surgery, the rehabilitation period would take at least six months, which would be a significant problem.

‘…Wait a minute.’

While recalling potential injuries, I realized an important fact.

No matter how hard I work, it won’t matter if the patients refuse treatment.

Just a moment ago, Jeong Ho-jeong mentioned that she has a hospital she goes to and won’t be receiving treatment.

It seems I need to show them something immediately to build rapport with the players.

What injuries can I demonstrate treatment effects on right away?

In this case, treating a stiff neck would be ideal.

‘Is there anyone with a stiff neck?’

Just then, I overheard a conversation between a player, who was grimacing while fiddling with her pinky finger, and the coach.

“Somina, what did the hospital say?”

“Every hospital says something different. The orthopedic clinic says it’s arthritis, and the acupuncture clinic says it’s a ligament issue. Ugh, it’s been two weeks already, why isn’t it getting any better?”

The player, called Somina, looked to be in her early twenties and appeared to be on the verge of tears.

“It’s a big deal for a setter since their fingers are essential. Is it still stiff?”

“Yes…. It’s okay if I don’t use it, but it’s uncomfortable when I move it.”

After observing for a while, I gently interjected into their conversation.

“Can I take a look?”

“Ah, yes, um….”

The player looked bewildered, and the coach didn’t bother to hide her dismissive expression.

“It’s just an intern; how could he fix what other doctors couldn’t?” she seemed to imply.

Still, I didn’t back down and firmly pressed on the player’s finger joint.

“Your right pinky finger has been like this for two weeks?”

“Yes. It wasn’t like this before; it just started suddenly. It makes a popping sound every time I move it.”

“Are the other fingers okay?”

“Yes. It’s just this one. It’s strange.”

Since it had been more than a week, I couldn’t rely on the glasses for help. I had to think for myself.

Pain and restricted movement that suddenly started two weeks ago.

The affected area is the synovial joint of the right fifth digit.

There is no swelling or warmth, and pain increases with activity.

Treatment for arthritis or ligament issues had not been effective.

“Oh.”

I found it. The cause.

It’s not usually my style, but should I show off a little?

“This is why it hasn’t healed. In this state, no matter how many acupuncture sessions you have or how many pain relievers and anti-inflammatories you take, it will be the same.”

As I pretended to sigh, the coach looked more surprised than the player and asked.

“Doctor, what do you mean by that?”

“There’s a concept called joint play. It refers to the movement that occurs between joint surfaces. When there’s a problem with joint play, pain occurs when the joint is moved, and the range of motion is limited. Right now, this player is experiencing restricted joint play in the synovial joint of her pinky finger.”

“What kind of play…?”

Both the coach and the player stared at me with their mouths agape.

“To put it simply, this player has limited movement in her finger joint.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s due to internal damage to the joint or external trauma. Since Somina has to constantly catch and throw the ball with her fingers, it’s more likely to be the latter.”

“Wait, you know my name?”

“I also know your nickname is So-So.”

“Wow, amazing.”

With Somina’s eyes wide in surprise, I continued my explanation.

“We need to normalize joint play through manual therapy. It’s useless to treat the muscles or ligaments.”

“Manual therapy?”

“It means performing chiropractic adjustments on the finger. Please, give me your hand.”

Somina extended her hand as instructed but instinctively shrank back like a turtle.

“Ahhh…”

“It won’t hurt. Don’t be tense. The patient must relax, and the joint needs to be completely at ease for the treatment.”

I fixed one side of the pinky finger joint with one hand and prepared to move the opposite side with the other.

Then, I recalled the key points for joint play treatment.

‘Do it quickly and precisely without using too much force or straining…’

Crack.

In the blink of an eye, the adjustment was complete. Somina blinked in surprise.

“Is it done?”

“Just a moment. Let me check if the treatment was effective.”

I compared the movements of both pinky finger joints and said, “It’s normalized now. Please try moving your right pinky finger.”

“Uh…? It doesn’t hurt anymore. Wow, amazing! I’ve been suffering for two weeks, and it’s gone just like that!”

“Really?!”

As Somina clapped her hands in excitement, the coach’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of her head.

Thanks to their noisy reaction, other players nearby began to murmur and show interest.

“Why didn’t the other hospitals know about this?”

“It’s not a common case. Team doctors are aware that such issues can occur with athletes.”

I casually emphasized my qualifications as a team doctor with that response.

“I’ll also give you a shot of medicinal acupuncture in the finger joint. It’s a Zhahegu acupuncture, which helps with the regeneration and recovery of surrounding tissues.”

“Yes! Thank you so much, Doctor!”

No, it’s I who should be grateful.

Somina’s heartfelt smile was the best advertisement for me.

It’s much more effective for someone else to praise and elevate you than to boast about your own accomplishments.

‘It’s what you might call social validation and conformity psychology.’

In fact, the way people around me looked at me had already changed significantly.

As I prepared the Zhahegu acupuncture, I smiled to myself.

The next treatment targets were Jeong Ho-jeong and Emma.

And as expected, the opportunity came soon.

After practice, while I was giving acupuncture to Ji Yeong-suk in the infirmary,

I heard a knock, and the infirmary door creaked open.

“Hello~.”

Entering cheerfully was captain Jeong Ho-jeong.

“It must have been chaotic since it’s your first day. Thank you for your hard work, Doctor.”

“Not at all. It wasn’t too busy today. I think I’ll have much more to do moving forward.”

“Moving forward?”

“I’m worried about the condition of a few players. …Including you, Jeong Ho-jeong.”

“Me?!”

As I gave her a sharp look, she flinched and reflexively rubbed her right shoulder.

“When you raise your right arm in front or to the side, you feel pain, right?”

“Wow. You have great observational skills.”

“I just saw you frowning every time you raised your arm.”

“That’s impressive. There are several players here, yet you managed to observe them all.”

She laughed in surprise and then candidly admitted,

“I actually had an MRI at the hospital, and they said I have a SLAP lesion. They said it’s not bad enough for surgery, so I’m getting injections and physical therapy.”

A “SLAP lesion” is named for its acronym, which stands for Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior.

It’s also referred to as a “superior labral tear.”

The shoulder joint is covered by a ring-shaped cartilage called the labrum, which is what has been damaged.

It commonly occurs in people who repeatedly raise their arms.

‘But it seems strange to label it a SLAP injury.’

While I was tilting my head in confusion, Ji Young-sook, who was lying down with needles in, encouraged Jeong Ho-jeong.

“Ho-jeong, you should get treated by this doctor too.”

“Um, but I already have a hospital I’m going to…”

“You don’t have to receive treatment from me, but can I just test something? I have a suspicion.”

With my persuasion, Jeong Ho-jeong finally nodded.

“Okay, then.”

“With your hands behind your back, raise your arms as high as you can, as if you’re scratching your back.”

I took Jeong Ho-jeong’s arm and performed the Apley’s Scratch Test.

I wanted to confirm something for myself and also fulfill the criteria of observing, listening, questioning, and palpating in diagnosis.

If my suspicion was correct, something unfortunate could happen within the next week.

“……!”

Ah, just as I thought.

The concerning situation I feared would occur in a few days.

As Jeong tried to raise her shoulder, she grimaced and lowered her arm.

The pain was so bad that she couldn’t sleep at night.

Eventually, the doctor would recommend surgery.

I could see Jeong and her coach looking despondent in the examination room.

With surgery and rehabilitation, it would take several months, and Jeong Ho-jeong’s appearances this season would be out of the question.

‘The Blue Whales without their ace will surely sink.’

Additionally, the results of the scratch test indicated something as well.

Both arms were raised to a sufficient height.

This means there are no issues with shoulder adduction or internal rotation.

I couldn’t make a definitive diagnosis without an X-ray, but this did not align with SLAP symptoms.

“Jeong, you’re not considering treatment from me, are you?”

“Actually, the athletic trainer doesn’t like it when the doctors change often, so I’m a bit hesitant.”

An athletic trainer is a medical trainer who manages the players’ health within the team.

Although not a doctor, they have a significant influence on the players’ health issues.

My words wouldn’t carry weight as someone who was new today.

After a moment of hesitation, I spoke up.

“Listen carefully, miss. In a few days, your pain might become so severe that you won’t be able to move your shoulder and you might not be able to sleep at night.”

“Really…?”

“When that happens, don’t rush into surgery; please make sure to contact me. I will treat you without surgery.”

Jeong Ho-jeong’s gaze wavered at my earnest request.

Right now, this is all I can do.

I hope she remembers my words when the warning becomes a reality.

* * *

Emma Russo, who came from Italy this year, found Korea to be unfamiliar.

Though she had the opportunity to come to Korea as a volleyball player, she knew little about Korean culture.

Some of her friends back home liked K-POP, but Emma wasn’t interested in that.

Her Korean was still clumsy, so she mostly communicated through an interpreter.

Then, during practice today, a man in a white coat appeared in the gym.

Filled with curiosity, Emma asked her interpreter,

[Who is that person? Is he a doctor?]

[Yes, he’s a doctor, but he’s a traditional medicine doctor.]

[Traditional medicine…?]

[Ah, how should I explain this?]

The interpreter seemed to struggle to explain the unfamiliar term.

[He practices Korean traditional medicine.]

[Traditional medicine…?]

Honestly, it didn’t sound very sophisticated.

When Emma furrowed her brow, the interpreter searched for something on their phone and showed her.

[Do you happen to know the dramas Dae Jang Geum or Heo Jun?]

[……?]

Emma, who didn’t even know much about K-POP, certainly wouldn’t know historical dramas.

In the screen, men and women in colorful traditional Korean clothing were either holding sharp needles or crouched down heating a brown teapot over a fire.

After seeing the photo, instead of relaxing, Emma’s frown deepened.

[This is a ‘doctor’? This is how they treat people?]

Oblivious to Emma’s incredulous tone, the interpreter earnestly continued to explain.

With a motion of grasping something in her hand and stabbing it.

[Yes! Acupuncture… so, sticking needles into people! And here, with the herbal medicine pot, we brew herbs to make herbal tea, okay?]

[…….]

While she couldn’t openly show her dislike out of politeness, Emma’s arms crossed, and a crease formed on her nose.

Goodness. She had heard that Korea is a very trendy and fast-paced country, but is medicine still at this level?

Emma made a resolution.

No matter what happens, she would never entrust her body to that man.