Create a New Focus

When taking a seminar in Melbourne in the mid 2000's, I was asked by a therapist to see a client who was having a severe problem with his ankle. His history showed he had been a long distance runner who had broken his ankle and had it plated a few months earlier. He said the ankle had improved but he was in constant pain and was unable to pursue his passion for running.

The final medical outcome was to fuse his ankle. He was told this would help the pain but would not allow him to run again. He made the decision to have the operation and was to see the surgeon two weeks following our meeting.
I treated him on a table for about 15 minutes, after which I asked him to sit up and then stand up for me. He placed both feet together on the floor and began to walk around.

At first he went well, then slowly began to limp. I listened to his words as he began to talk himself back into pain. I stated I could notice where the problem was and asked him to get back on the table. I made some simple moves, asked him to sit back up and stated he should been fine now. I then asked to look at his wrist and asked if he had much trouble with the wrist.

He said 'No, why?". I suggested he should keep a watch on it just in case it started paining but I believed the ankle would be fine.

He returned to the therapist for a follow-up appointment a week later. He told her he had cancelled the surgery as his ankle had improved dramatically.

He had decided to keep his appointment to have his possible offending wrist checked. She did a light treatment on his ankle and the last I had heard his quality of life had improved and he had gone back to running.
What I had done was to give him a new point of focus with the potential of pain.

This caution was less invasive on his health and allowed him to pursue his passion

Ross Emmett