At our office we get people from every race and tongue and I have found it fascinating to ask people how to say “pain” in their native language. We also have patients who don’t speak any English at all and so I need an interpreter to translate what I am asking and to tell me what the patient is saying. Over the years the number of ways to say pain started to add up and when the number hit 15 I decided it might be interesting to share some of these stories with you. The first alternate word for pain I learned, naturally, being of a Hispanic heritage is Dolor and a lot of pain is Mucho Dolor. Knowing this and watching the patient’s physical reactions to my examination and treatment as well as asking the question, “Te dueles?”, I was able to get all the information I needed to make a diagnosis.
Being located in Glendale, many of my patients are of Armenian heritage and I found out that Tsav is the word for pain, Tsavma means painful and Shott Tsavma means, “a lotta pain”. Patients who are not familiar with our language feel more at home and comfortable with someone who can at least speak a few words of their native tongue and it helps me to keep my brain sharp to constantly be learning new things.
One of my patients was from Sri Lanka and, although he was fluent in English, after helping him with his pain he brought his mother in who spoke very little English. He taught me the word for pain in Sri Lankan was Ridinoah, a bit many syllables as far as I’m concerned because when I am in pain there is nothing that relieves the pain as much as saying a good quick Ouch! He also told me later that his mother was very touched that I would make the effort to learn at least one word from her language.
We also have Keev’ in Hebrew, Smertz in German, Smerte in Danish, Itai’ in Japanese, A’po in Korean, Dolor’e in Italian, Tong in Chinese and Kipu in Finnish.
That’s one of the things I love about L.A. is the fantastic number of ethnic communities in the area. Many times when I help one person from a particular heritage, the word gets out and the next thing you know I’m getting a whole slew of friends and family from that group.
I can trace perhaps 90 per cent of my Korean population back to one person! The same is true of my Armenian patients; one person became a mighty root that has grown into a huge tree of new success stories of people being helped by 3-D Chiropractic techniques.
We also have learned Masakit’ or Arai! in the Philipino language, Waja’! in Arabic and Bailid’! in the Russian tongue.
No matter how you say pain you all know that there is often one great solution:
3D Chiropractic Technique! Because of the simplicity of the principles of 3DCT and the thoroughness of our exam procedures, even people who don’t speak my language can understand exactly what their problem is and, therefore can understand the solution to their problem. Our analysis of the muscles and bones does not require us to speak to the patient during treatment so often an interpreter is only needed on the first visit. If you know of a friend or relative that is suffering from a chronic pain but is afraid to come in because they speak another language please let them know that I know pain in 15 different languages!
Yours Sincerely In Health and remember, thoroughness is my middle name!
Dr. Alan “Thoroughness” Nunez
“Fight Pain With Food”
Dr. Nuñez and Dr Subia are honored to have the opportunity to share some valuable information with our patients.
We have invited holistic nutrition consultant, Kim McGee, BS, NC, to speak on how to you can support your health with a more organic, whole food perspective. Ms. McGee will also discuss how you can add exercise and lifestyle guidelines to your routine based on your individual needs. This presentation will focus on inflammation. Many of 3DChiro’s patients may be suffering from arthritis, limited mobility or are recovering from surgery–all of which fall under the inflammation category. Even if you are a weekend warrior/sports enthusiast, you occasionally have to deal with inflammation due to exercise.
Ms. McGee studied at Bauman College in Santa Cruz, CA and is a member of the National Association for Nutrition Professionals (NANP) as well as a member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN). Ms. McGee, speaking often, enjoys educating the public about how diet and lifestyle choices affect every aspect of their health.
When: Saturday, January 31st RSVP now
Time: 2:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.
Location: 3D Chiropractic Office
ONLY -10 seats available
Cost: $5.00 per person
BONUS: Get a $10 discount off your next visit to 3D Chiropractic.
Provided: A light snack and herbal tea
Disclaimer
This blog is meant to provide information on current news and general information. It is not intended to constitute medical advice, nor is any doctor-client relationship established by its posting on this website. If you are facing a situation that requires medical assistance, please consult your physician.