In October 1979, I was on vacation in Hawaii where I met a gentleman from New York who was also on vacation, and he mentioned Kensen Saito, a shiatsu therapist practicing in Toronto, which is my home. You see, from the beginning of that year I had a very painfully stiff neck which had gotten progressively worse over the year. I had a series of treatments, including chiropractic, physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory pills, and acupuncture. Nothing would remedy the condition, I was convinced I had a brain tumor or something deadly. The gentleman was surprised that I had not heard of Kensen. The fellow advised me to see Kensen as soon as I returned to Toronto, which I did. In just one treatment lasting approximately one hour, Kensen took the kinks out of my neck and rendered me free of pain for the first time in almost a year.

I have continued to have treatments with him over a period of 22 years now, and I have sent dozens of family and friends to him over these years. Following a rearender to my car I was experiencing whiplash pain. I called Kensen and he told me to come immediately. My doctor had suggested a collar, but Kensen said that a collar would cause the muscles to weaken and that when the collar was removed I'd be back to square one. Kensen worked his magic, and I had no whiplash pain.

I was compelled to write this testimonial because I recently paid a visit to Kensen following a very bad fall. The impact was very severe and I had injured my knee so badly that my leg would not straighten and my entire body ached from the impact. In one session I was free of the knee pain and when I went back for a half hour session there was nothing to remind me of the fall. It is most unfortunate that OHIP refuses to recognize the value of this therapy. They will partially pay for chiropractic and they pay for physiotherapy which in this case would have taken months for any results, rather than a few sessions of shiatsu. If the medical powers that be would take a look at the comparatively low cost of shiatsu, considering that two treatments cost about $120.00 as opposed to the alternatives which cost 10 times as much, they would realize that our almost bankrupt health care funds would be better spent on a therapy that works.

The cost of shiatsu is a stretch for me financially as I am now a retired lady, but the benefit to my overall health is too valuable to do without.

For more information call the Shiatsu Diffusion Society at (416) 406-5493 or visit www.shiatsupractor.org