Another member of my group gets treated for a sore neck

I watched as another long needle slid easily into my knee.

OK, Im lying. I had my head turned and eyes closed like a big baby, but there WAS a long needle stuck in my knee. Nine of them to be exact, stuck between my left knee and right shoulder. A couple of them only had an inch or two showing on the surface and I tried not to think about how long they were when we started!

Under normal circumstances, I would rather be covered with rattlesnakes than with needles, but I came voluntarily in an effort to get my knee fixed up so that I can walk out of here proudly carrying my rucksack in a few days, rather than hobbling like a cripple.

Lara, who studied acupunture and natural medicine in Switzerland for 4 years, graciously volunteered to turn me into a human pincushion for free. She seemed to know what she was doing and within 20 minutes, I could feel a warm burning sensation all the way up my leg. Maybe it was just the infection taking hold? OR, more likely it was the chi flowing again that has been blocked by pain and injury for the last week.

Some people balk at the thoughts of chi and Chinese medicine, but when you consider that it is more than 2000 years old and less than 200 years ago us Westerners were still putting leeches on people, I accept it firmly. And it works.

I finished our afternoon training session for the first time in a week without my knee giving up before I did. Thank you Lara.

Seeing needles still makes me break out into a cold sweat, but my first acupuncture treatment was an experience that I will remember. I’m sure that it wont be my last.