Laser Therapy Nearly Paralysed the Tennis Player
Mr. Nguyen taught law in a famous university in Vietnam. He received a doctor of law degree in the then Soviet Union in the 1980’s, and by 2010 he was dean of the law school for nearly 20 years.
He enjoyed good health and was rarely sick. “I played tennis well. I was the fastest and most fit player on the team,” recalled Mr. Nguyen.
In early February 2010, he had more than 1,000 exams to check. He worked day and night to complete them in time. As a result of sitting for hours, his left leg became numb.
He told his family about the numbness and tingling sensation. His wife suggested that he see a doctor, so he visited a clinic on February 8 after work. His sister had laser therapy for her invertebrate disc pain at this clinic a few months before.
Mr. Nguyen had an MRI done there. The doctor told him that he should undergo a 30-minute laser therapy, otherwise he risked having both legs paralysed. He later learned the situation was not as serious as the doctor said.
He was concerned, but the doctor assured him that the therapy was simple and only took 30 minutes. He would be able to return to the tennis court 30 days after the therapy. He agreed and returned to the clinic the following day.
The laser injured his spine. “Afterwards I had to lie in bed. I could only sit up for at most 30 minutes before I had to lie down again,” he said.
His tennis teammates were very surprised because he used to be so strong and fit.