Romanian Team turns to Alternative Medicine

Members of the national gymnastics team at Deva head to acupuncture treatments twice a day, at 9 in the morning and 8 in the evening, after the last training session. The treatments started last Friday, when Mircea Zamfirescu, a general practitioner, came to the training center, carrying [acupuncture] needles, [herbal] tinctures and teas.

�I will try to solve the major problems during the next 12 days, but this is just a quick surface fix. The girls should receive more attention from the sports officials. If they want a competitive team, they should invest [money] in it accordingly,� said Zamfirescu, a former national champion in hammer throw. The medical practitioner will send his bill to the RGF after his stay at Deva. �I have my own practice in Bucharest. I charge 100,000 lei ($3) for every acupuncture session for retired people. Everyone else pays 150,00 lei ($5). I will have a different fee for the gymnasts, though,� he explained.

Andreea R�ducan is the only team member who refused Zamfirescu�s treatment. �I asked her to come a couple of times, but she�s afraid of needles,� he explained. Only 2-3 girls showed up at the first session. �Just seeing those needles scared me to death,� recalls Sabina Cojocar. "I�m still scared. Sometimes, when he sticks the needle in, it hurts a lot, but there�s nothing I can do about it�� None of the two [head] coaches at Deva used the doctor�s services. �I have my own self-control that no doctor can influence,� proclaimed Octavian Belu. The team�s head coach believes the gymnasts are already doing better after going to Mr. Zamfirescu�s sessions. "Many of them are now pain-free. For example, Andreea Ulmeanu, told me her legs aren�t giving her anymore trouble.� Mircea Zamfirescu, who confessed his treatment is meant to �push the Deva cart [i.e., help move things along]� hopes to aid in the recovery of the 5 gymnasts needed for the upcoming European Championships.

�None of the girls is completely ready so far. Actually, we don�t know really know what we�re doing. Are we getting ready for a competition, or are we on a crash diet with Carmen Ionescu who gained 10kg [22 lbs] after her 2 months vacation, and complains of elbow discomfort, or heel problems, or are we doing rehab with Sabina Cojocar following her shoulder surgery?� wondered Belu. �This time around, we will not panic. It�s all in God�s hands.�

Andreea R�ducan has a different training schedule than the rest of the team. �I only work with her, at least in the afternoon,� said Belu. �We�re trying to get her out of this �poor kids� who have health problems medium, and expose her to a more optimistic atmosphere,� he explained. �We haven�t even weighed her lately, to make sure we don�t create a new stress factor for her. Whether or not she�ll compete at Europeans is entirely up to her,� added Mariana Bitang.

National Sports Problems Research Center director, Pierre de Hilerin, was the one who recommended Zamfirescu to the RGF. �He is a close friend, but that doesn�t matter. I trust him as a doctor, because he helped me and my family,� said Hilerin. "I know he worked in Germany before and now he has his own practice, called Acumed in Bucharest. Maybe he can solve the crisis at Deva.�

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