Sharp as a needle thanks to acupuncture

If you compiled a list of must-do things in China, what would it include? More interesting than simply visiting the Great Wall and eating Peking duck might be riding the buses and trains instead of cruising from A to B at 12,000 m. Sampling grasshoppers or scorpions at Beijing's Wangfujing night market would also suit the more adventurous.

Experiencing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) might be less daunting but it's tempting nonetheless. Recent events afforded me the perfect opportunity to tackle the same health issue with both TCM and its Western counterpart.

A trip to New Zealand took a turn for the worse when a bout of long-standing lower-back pain intensified within hours from being a nuisance into something far more debilitating. One night, even getting off the armchair in my countryside cottage took the best part of 15 minutes.