​Overview

The Truth about Joint Muscle Pain That No One Will Tell You 

How can we deal with debilitating pain in the shoulders, hips, and knees? The answer that the author gives, being indignant against overtreatment is simple: “patients themselves can repeatedly tap, press, and stretch, until the pain is relieved.”

Dr. Hwang Yun-Kweon, the author of <Secret of Orthopedics That Require Surgery>, has run an orthopedic hospital in Busan for 21 years. He stresses in this book that “the basis of medical practice is sincere treatment” and criticizes doctors’ attitudes that overtreat or recommend unnecessary surgery. In addition, he describes in detail why a patient comes to suffer from muscle or joint pain, and reveals how patients can deal with such pain by themselves.

Part 1 describes why pain occurs in the hip, knees, and shoulders. In addition, treatment methods that temporarily relieve pain caused by excessive surgery or anesthesia are criticized, and a fundamental treatment method is suggested instead. “In order to mitigate and treat pain, you can press or tap muscles around the area to soften and strengthen muscular power.” Patients themselves need to keep massaging and exercising muscles to remove pain.

Part 2 suggests ways to resolve abnormal symptoms and pain in our bodies: tap or press a painful area or practice good posture by stretching the body. Here are some examples. In the section “Questions and Answers about Headaches,” the causes and solutions are provided in detail. In general, people think that a headache comes from the brain or blood vessels. However, headaches often occur by keeping your head lowered for too long, which causes the muscles in the back of your neck and head to tense up. In this case, the symptoms can be relieved by tapping or stretching the muscles in the back of your neck.

The secret of orthopedics revealed by an orthopedist

Part 3 discusses wrong treatments given by unconscientious orthopedists, and patient symptoms that are not easily healed, even by expensive treatments. Criticizing doctors who start with an MRI scan when a patient talks about their symptoms, or doctors who insist patients with no fracture take an X-ray, the author emphasizes the problem of overtreatment once again.

About author

Hwang Yun-Kweon is the director of Hwang Yun-Kweon Orthopedic Hospital. He entered the College of Medicine at Kyung Hee University in 1976, obtained a medical license in 1982, interned at Kyung Hee University Medical Center by 1983, and completed residency at the same center in 1987. After obtaining an orthopedic surgeon’s license, Dr. Hwang worked as a salaried doctor at a general hospital until 2001. Since establishing Hwang Yun-Kweon Orthopedic Hospital in Busan in 2001, he’s been its acting director. His hospital is known for not having X-ray equipment or physical therapy room  and rarely prescribes medicine. Hwang Yun-Kweon Orthopedic Hospital is always crowded with patients from all over the country and Dr. Hwang is busy describing symptoms to individual patients while explaining clearly how to best facilitate treatment.