Fang Mu uses acupuncture to help Cerebral Palsy patient

Man walks for the first time in 29 years

by Fang Mu and Sheridan Hill

Steven Anthony Drane came to Fang at the age of 52 for his first acupuncture treatment on October 1, 2001. He could talk only a little bit, he could not walk and suffered from stiffness and numbness in his legs. He was always very tired.

Steven was diagnosed at birth with Cerebral Palsy. When he was 23 years old, he sustained injuries in an automobile accident that left him unable to walk. After five months of bi-weekly treatments, on March 18, 2002 he walked for the first time in 29 years. 

Steven could not bend his legs, had extreme difficulty raising himself out of his wheelchair, and could not press both feet flat on the floor. If he tried to stand he fell down, unless he was supported by a person standing on each side.

 His joints, especially in his right ankle, would not move and his pulse was weak, signifying that the stomach, liver, and kidneys were weak.

After the first acupuncture treatment, he said he felt better immediately. He decided to come twice a week. For Steven, to walk again seemed like a dream, but after each acupuncture treatment, his body was stronger and stronger.

When the body's natural energy balance is upset, especially for long periods of time, the vital organs will suffer also. Acupuncture needle points correspond to powerful energy meridians in the body and help the body restore balance. 

 In February 2002, Steven asked Fang if she thought he would be able to walk again. “Yes!” she told him. On March 18, Steven sat up from the acupuncture table after treatment, moved his legs towards the floor, set his feet down and stood by himself without help. He looked down at his legs, concentrating hard, lifted one foot and set it in front of him. A small smile rose on his face as he lifted the other foot. That smile spread big and wide across his joyous face as he walked across the room. He was astonished. He walked back across the room again and again. He raised his hand and said, "Thank God.”

Now Steven walks short distances, to and from the car, on his own for the first time in his life. 

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are helping to balance his body and strengthen his liver, kidney, and stomach. Now that Steven is able to exercise, his thinking capacity has improved, his verbal skills are improved, and he has started to ask lots of questions about life! He has also started to tease and become playful.

 "I am happy for Steven and I hope I can help more Cerebral Palsy people move from the dream of wholeness to the truth and reality of wholeness," Fang said.

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See background on Fang Mu or see research in acupuncture and cerebral palsy You can go to Fang Mu web site. Or see another story on alternative healing.