I thought knee replacement was inevitable. Repeated sports injuries, two surgeries and severe oesteoarthritis over a period of thirty years left me increasingly disabled. Several doctors told me replacement with an artificial joint was my only choice -- nothing else would work. But over the past year I witnessed my wife gradually recovering from her own acute knee problems thanks to physical therapy. I was skeptical because I had been through physical therapy before, without much improvement. But since my wife was making so much progress I decided to take a leap of faith and start working with her therapist, Dr. Shmuel Tatz. I'm not sure how to describe his unconventional ""body tuning"" approach, but after only a couple of months I feel my knee is improving. I have less pain, more flexibility, more strength for walking. Shmuel has a true healer's understanding of the body and great respect for its ability to restore itself after injury. He has given me the confidence to resist the technological quick-fix. It will take more work with him -- and on my own -- to get my knee back into shape. Stay tuned (pardon the pun"" -- I'll report back in a few months. -- Robert C.
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