Americans are known for being particular and demanding about many things, but none more than medical care. And there is probably nothing with which they are less willing to experiment.

　　Diagnosis and treatment can be lengthy and painstaking processes for many conditions, largely because American physicians must be cautious to leave no stone unturned, so to speak, to fend off malpractice lawsuits. Surgery is often the solution to problems that don抰 yield to drugs and therapy. This is the culture that has always defined my decisions when seeking medical help.

　　However, when in Rome do as the Romans do, or in this case, when in China ...

　　After a 13 1/2 hour, nonstop flight from San Francisco to Shanghai several weeks ago, I was practically doubled over, unable to stand up straight for more than a minute or two, and unable to walk 50 paces. It wasn抰 pain, it was just the inability to walk very far before my legs quit working. Then the numbness set in. Then I was scared.

　　I had had trouble with my back before, but had always been able to measure the problem by the amount of pain it caused. This was different ?no pain, just numbness, and while it affected my legs, I knew instinctively it was centred in my back.

　　Nothing motivates more than fear, and since I had already tried the usual stretching exercises and ice packs, I was desperate to try something else. I asked a colleague to contact an acupuncturist to see if that would give me some relief.

　　It抯 a little unnerving to have anyone stick needles along your spine, but Dr Shao Lei is not just anyone. He is Chief Doctor of TCM and Acupuncture of Huashan Hospital, guest professor at the American College of Acupuncture in New York, special member of the German Traditional Medical Association and guest lecturer at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, one of the premiere medical schools in the US. He is soft spoken, quick and figured out my problem within minutes.

　　In the US I had undergone x-rays and MRIs to find out what he told me after five minutes, and had spent thousands of dollars on months of chiropractor and drug treatments to get the same relief I received after three courses of acupuncture. It was so successful we decided to work on the carpal tunnel syndrome that has plagued me since my first child was born 30 years ago. So far, so good.

　　Little needles and little magnets are spelling big relief and I find myself looking forward to the visits. It is Chinese medicine but it is so American in its instant gratification. This is something Americans would flock to if they understood that they could walk out of the doctor抯 office feeling better immediately, rather than after they went home and took bottles of pills.

　　It amazes me that the waiting room at Huashan Hospital抯 15th floor foreign medicine department isn抰 overflowing with people like me who want help now and are willing to tweak their thinking a little to make room for alternative treatments. On second thought, maybe I should be careful what I wish for. Right now I don抰 have to wait to see the doctor. That in itself is worth a lot.

　　By Wanda Fox