By Alan B. Combs

In other forums, I have decried certain of the problems of getting old. A new, unexpected one is a problem with severe itches in the middle of my back, just where arms with reduced mobility cannot reach. It works to back up to a door jamb and rub against it much the way cows can be seen to rub against a fence post. (I know that model doesn’t work well for all you City Folks, but stay with me, visualize.) The problem is that this back rubbing can be embarrassing when one is caught at it. It is so hard to pretend one is doing something else.

I finally found the answer. In the paper I saw an advertisement for Dr. Mei-Ling Wang, an accupuncture and accupressure specialist and I went to her. Her trained fingers go right to the maddening itch and provide blessed relief. Joy and rapture. Her special treatment lasts for days.

I see now that what I always needed for my terrible condition was a Chinese backscratcher.

Because of comments I’ve received, I should explain that “pica” in Spanish means “itch”. That’s what I had in mind. The English meaning is a little different.