WARNING: If you don't like feet, you are not going to like this post so feel free to skip it!
Korea is pretty infamous for their lack of safety precautions. Uneven surfaces are everywhere and I frequently catch myself before falling; however, a few weeks ago at work I wasn't that lucky. Since I could move my toes and foot and walk, albeit with pain, I self-treated my injury with RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). After a week, I decided to go see a doctor who told me I had a minor injury (thank goodness!) and had damaged the joint capsule in my foot, causing swelling between the bones of my foot that was pushing the bones forward. No wonder it didn't feel very good. He put me in a splint for a week, prescribed an anti-inflammatory and instructed me to get a shot in my butt. Apparently most doctor appointments in Korea end with a shot in the butt. Then he sent me to physical therapy. As someone who used to work in rehab and at one time had an interest in pursuing a career in physical therapy, I was very interested by the techniques they used. I also thought it was odd that at no point did the doctor or therapist touch my injured foot.
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5 days after injury - swelling and bruising |
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Treatment #1: Infrared Therapy 20 min |
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Treatment #2: ??? 15 min |
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After treatment #2 |
Treatment #3: Ultrasound 3 min (not pictured)
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Treatment #4: Mystery soak. Soak for 10 minutes in what usually looks like green tea but today had a reddish tint. |