Body tune-up and preventive maintenance

AS I subject myself to a physical scrutiny and try an age-old healing method, it came to mind that five decades of boyhood, manhood and parenthood with some unimaginable feats that went with it appears to have taken its toll on thy mortal being. Having tested and proven one’s physical strength to a certain degree can truly be abusive to the body and this will have to be reduced if not stopped without any compromises and delay.
 
Before I go on, please do not think that I am already being examined with a surgical knife, succumbed to the mighty C or had a stroke, which prone to many workaholics who are getting to be middle aged. Just like a truck that has carried tons of load in worst roads, a body check-up, tire replacement, engine tune up or what mechanics refer to as general maintenance is a must-do and shouldn’t be delayed.
 
As one who tinkers with mechanical and electrical gadgets, I know what a loose connection, missing nut or bolt and overheating transformer means and it is definitely something that we shouldn’t ignore because it can mean great risk or a disaster waiting to happen. Even a fogged rear window or side mirror can court disaster to a motorist when driving on a stormy day. What more if the windshield wipers are not working?
 
We Filipinos are known for our “Mcgyverities” or remedial skills undertaken by many if only to solve or arrest a problem but these practices shouldn’t end as a solution but a thorough troubleshooting should instead be implemented. Yes, I am seeking an expert. Yes, I will soon be half a century old with dreams of writing a book, accomplishing a masterpiece, touring the world with dear wife and seeing my grandchildren grow as I complete the marathon of life.
 
Even the city of Baguio as observed by many has also taken its toll as a rest and recreation community designed for twenty five thousand residents by the Americans at the turn of the century. The thoroughfares or city arteries have choking points and the so-called lung of the city where residents can enjoy and breathe fresh air is no longer as sound as before. Well, Baguio has indeed evolved from a pastureland, a place for regenerating one’s health to a metropolis complete with environmental hazards and all.
 
Inhaling Baguio’s air in the not-so-distant past was a “precious experience as the city used to look and smell like a world-class natural spa” wrote Ana Marie Pamintuan in her recent Philippine Star column. Pamintuan find herself disappointed with the disappearance of the pine trees along the slopes of roads leading to the city, which are “notably replaced with houses whose residents obviously do not have the luxury of bothering about gardens and aesthetics”.
 
The columnist also noted that the traffic around the market was worse than in Divisoria even on Sunday morning. Frustrated at seeing pink-cheeked tribal girls at the market, Pamintuan observed that Baguio smells mostly like urban blight noting that the city still has much beauty to offer but someone should step in before Baguio’s attractions are ruined and lost forever.

As to my case, it may not after all be likened to an over burdened truck but an off-road pick-up vehicle that has revved up in many humps, uphill climbs and hard turns. A worn out axle can be replaced but such may not be the case with a left knee that was abused during my youthful days for carrying heavy loads. I still consider myself lucky though that I have concerned friends in the medical field that specializes in both western and oriental medicine. As of this writing, I am actually having a muxibustion treatment at the Fil-Chinese Hospital as a preventative measure to boost my immune system and maintain health. In conjunction with acupuncture, a very special Chinese herb called Moxa is applied externally at my spines through its heat energy when burned. Moxa is known throughout the ages as an agent that can prolong life and my physician Dr. Charles Cheng is a clear living example of its vitality. In modern American acupuncture clinics, moxa is used very frequently but still gets far less media attention than acupuncture. So, if you think your body needs rejuvenation, try alternative medicine. After all, everyone is entitled to a second opinion.