EASTERN MEDICINE IN LANGKAWI
By Kamila Delart
Battling a chronic condition or suffering from acute pain? Rather than looking for reputed specialists and advanced medical centers based in KL or Singapore, head to Kuala Teriang, a tiny kampong halfway between Pantai Cenang and Pantai Kok. ‘Disguised’ as a traditional Spa, the ‘LGK ASHI’, located opposite a Mosque, is without a doubt the best address in Langkawi when looking for serious medical help.
As in many other Spas on the island, you can indulge in a relaxing bath; enjoy a full body massage or a facial.
But if you look around, you will notice that instead of batik art with frangipani flowers, the walls feature anatomy posters. And if you enter the tiny room located in front of the reflexology lounge, you will see shelves with hundreds of colorful boxes, each containing acupuncture needles of returning patients. The best testimony for the amazing skills of the Korean healer, Mr. Lee Shim Sin Taik!
I visited LGK ASHI more than a year ago when experiencing a period of insomnia, and was positively surprised when after only a few hand acupuncture sessions, my sleeping difficulties disappeared. But then, insomnia is often related to stress and may vanish even without medical intervention. So I am wondering whether my current condition will respond to Mr. Lee’s treatment as effectively.
In excruciating pain, and unable to turn my head more than some 5 cm to either side, I enter LGK ASHI, barely able to accompany my greeting with a smile. What started as a stiff neck a week ago turned into such a torture, I am barely able to drive my car and struggle to find a comfortable position that will allow me to sleep.
While sympathetic to the localized pain in my neck, Mr. Lee begins the session with feeling my pulse and thoroughly examining my hand to get a feel for my overall health. A firm believer of eastern healing philosophy, he is less concerned with specific symptoms as with finding the underlying cause of my pain. And sure enough, he detects impairment of the digestive system. With my body overloaded with toxins, the circulation is poor which in turn affects the function of the internal organs. Once the body is purified and equilibrium restored, not only will the pain in my neck disappear but I should experience a boost of energy. A tempting prospect since for the last three months, I did feel unusually tired, although I blamed it on work overload…
I commence the detoxification process by swallowing herbal capsules and drinking a cup of special herbal tea, and watch Dr. Lee insert countless needles in the palm of my hand. As he explains, some of them target directly my neck condition but the majority of the selected points correspond with my stomach and intestines. While I wait for the needles to perform their ‘miracle work’, I receive a foot reflexology massage. Following a chart that indicates the relationship between organs and specific spots on my soles, I am not surprised when the most sensitive areas turn out to be connected to the digestive system.
Returning next day after another sleepless night, I’m a little discouraged. But Mr. Lee doesn’t seem too worried about the lack of immediate results and repeats the treatment of the previous day, adding at the end of the session a physical manipulation of my neck, similar to the technique of a chiropractor. It’s so painful, I could cry. And even though it’s only early evening when I reach my home, I head straight to bed to escape the aggravated pain. But when I wake up next morning, I can instantly feel a major difference. Mr. Lee clearly knows what he is doing!
And so, when he suggests during my next session wet cupping, I agree even though the ‘bloody’ procedure seems a little scary. Mr. Lee focuses on my lower back since the toxins tend to accumulate mainly in the kidneys, but he does address also my shoulder, close to the neck area that hurts.
During wet cupping, the skin is first punctured. When placing over the perforated area sucking cups, the toxins trapped in deep tissues are not only moved towards the surface as during a dry cupping, but entirely expelled from the body. Once the cups are removed, I actually get to see a gross, jelly-like substance – coagulated blood saturated with toxins. When looking at the slightly disturbing pictures Dr. Lee’s assistant took, I’m surprised how painless the procedure was.
And amazed by the results! When waking up next day, I am absolutely pain free. A state I couldn’t have even imagined a couple of days back! But being a true healer, Mr. Lee insists that I come back in a week for another cupping session. While the acute symptoms may be gone, he doesn’t consider his work complete until my entire system is balanced. – An attitude rare to be found when seeking help elsewhere!
So whether you are a Langkawian or only a visitor – if you have any health concerns – the question where to seek help is redundant…
LGK ASHI SPA & MASSAGE
Tel: +6 04 955 3113
+6 012 471 0116
Email: LGKashi@gmail.com
