Mrs A has had a hard life bringing up three children on her own, after her husband was killed in an accident at work. She put in long hours as a domestic worker to try to make ends meet. Lately she has been plagued by severe lower back pain. She has been to see her doctor many times, who has prescribed painkillers and referred her to the hospital for investigations. Physiotherapy has been tried. She would like to have surgery, since she knows people who have been helped by this. However, the specialist says that surgery is not indicated. Indeed, no detectable cause has been found for her back pain, which unfortunately has not responded to any of the medical treatments so far.

During the Khmer Rouge period in Cambodia, Sac was working at carrying dirt while helping to build a dam. She suddenly felt very dizzy and fell to the ground. While prone, she could see the people around her, but could not speak or move. The episode was treated by the people around her as Kyol Goeu – a potentially fatal fainting fit caused by ‘wind overload’. She revived and felt better. […]