“As a gift to heal.” This is how Julio Rodríguez catalogs the fact of alleviating some physical ailments through his hands. A practice called sobandero that is on the list of ancestral knowledge included in the health reform project proposed by the national government.
This is a disease prevention strategy that includes the participation of herbalists, taitas, healers, midwives and other profiles of ancestral medicine.
The issue has caused such a stir in recent days that even the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recently held an exchange of experiences and ancestral knowledge regarding midwifery from the indigenous peoples living in Colombia, thus recognizing their contribution to modern medicine.
Julio has been a sobandero for more than 35 years and for him, being recognized in conventional medicine goes beyond progress, it is giving value to knowledge that has been under the shadow for generations.
According to the Ministry of Health, the new preventive model will not only have general practitioners, nurses and psychologists, but could also include other personalities who, with ancestral knowledge, would contribute to the health treatment of Colombians.
And it is clear that a large part of Colombians resort to these practices or, worse still, they self-medicate. Undoubtedly, it is the grandmothers who in many cases motivate people to take home remedies to alleviate illnesses. In most cases, these recipes come from traditional or ancestral medicine, which is used mainly by indigenous communities.
healing hands
The job of the sobandero goes beyond treating a serious fracture or muscle injury. It has more to do with techniques, knowledge, experiences and responsibility.
“The sobanderos must be prepared to know how to locate the bones in their places, which many times the doctors or physiotherapists do not have that knowledge to be able to locate an ankle or what the ligaments are. During my 15 years in this trade I have been able to save many people from an operation” says Julio, who from the age of 15 discovered that he could use his hands to relieve pain.
The man from Bogotá has his office on Calle 69A with 72A – 60 in the Capital, where he treats sciatic nerve pain, carpal tunnel, sinusitis, tonsils, sprains, dysplasias, submerged ribs, postpartum stress, spurs, among others.
He also studied acupuncture and the healing power of plants. He is certified by the Higher Medical Institute of Chinese Acupuncture and Energy Sciences. “I have a 95% effectiveness, but when you see that the patient has a fracture you have to tell him that he must go to the doctor. Being a bandleader implies a lot of responsibility, because, for example, there are many people who are unaware that when a rib is fracture can perforate a lung and cause death, the same happens with an ankle; if it is a fracture, gangrene forms and also has irreversible consequences. You have to be very responsible in this job, because the life of a person is compromised. Sometimes you have to tell people that the option is surgery or the most recommended thing when there is a sciatic nerve and it is badly injured, it is best to go to a doctor ”, highlights the sobandero.
Hailing from Tolima, Julio states that some sobanderos inherit the knowledge of parents or grandparents who have been curators in some way. “In my case, I am indigenous and since I was a young man I have the ability to heal pain and adjust bones. I studied plants for 15 years to be able to help people, because there are ligaments that become inflamed and that can be worked with plants. One of the most difficult things to treat is the sciatic nerve, with that you have to be very careful, as well as with the spur (heel)”.
The most recurring
People with injuries to the ankles, shoulders, spine, among other ailments from which he has been able to help his patients recover, even come to his office seeking his services based on the recommendations of some doctors who have been able to see the effectiveness of ancient practice
While some use devices such as lamps, professional massagers, oils, creams, among other elements, Julio’s only instruments are his hands, his soles, and his knowledge.
Although these techniques relieve pain, they would also relieve the public health system, since a person who suffers from a fall could turn to ancestral knowledge before visiting a hospital.
For example, the fall could cause what is commonly called rennet or sprain, ills that could well be treated with a sobandero or healer.
“Once a lawyer came to my office who had undergone 14 physiotherapy treatments for an ankle injury. She came to my office on the recommendation of a doctor, because they know that this is an alternative that works and, furthermore, they know that I do the job very well, I have very good knowledge. The patient’s foot improved with just one session”, recalls Julio.
There is no doubt that in many cases people resort to this type of traditional alternatives, especially when it is treated for home accidents or illnesses such as diarrhea or pain in the lower part of the stomach, this means that the child is “dislodged” , which originates, according to the healers or herbalists, by a strong fall, for which it is necessary to “rub” it with a massage practiced on the stomach and, finally, lift it from the feet; from the ancestral belief of these people, this serves so that the “rennet” returns to its place.
“It is very important that you must be certified to be able to do it, without selfishness or pretensions, because there are things that doctors do not do and that is to locate a submerged rib. The sobandero is an instrument of God to be able to help people”, highlighted Julio Rodríguez.