Yeoh Siew Hoon, suffering from another kind of occupational hazard, seeks treatment of an alternative kind.

I guess every job has its occupational hazard. For Tiger Woods, it's women and for those of us who live our lives through our devices, pain in various parts of our anatomy although if you've seen the photo of the famous golfer flying around the web, you'd definitely feel sorry for him.

Last week, my body broke down – well, at least, the left part of my body. Stiff neck, sore shoulder, headache like you wouldn't believe – I felt like a cow which couldn't move its head – which must be a bit like what poor Tiger is feeling right now. He can't move without some woman throwing a golf ball at him, saying, "We had sex." (Hey, the man's not named Tiger for nothing.)

And so I sought out a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) clinic, on the recommendation of my doctor in Penang who said, "The problem with doctors is we are paid to do and so we do." Which was his way of saying sometimes they do things that aren't necessary and it's better to seek alternative treatments rather than a surgery-happy doctor for certain ailments.

"How can I help?" said the Chinese-looking George Clooney-lookalike doctor. He had the most gorgeous brown eyes, and the most beautiful fingers.

I looked into his eyes and said, "My leg hurts when I run or walk on an incline."

"Maybe you should rest?" he said, without batting an eyelid.

I giggled. "Yes, but it's been hurting for a long time and now I've got a headache. Are they related?"

"Everything is related," he said in a wise baritone.

He took my pulse. I felt my heart racing. He hums and haws. He writes something down in Chinese. I can't read a word but it looks important.

"Acupuncture can help," he said. "It will help improve circulation and blood flow. Are you in a hurry?" he asked gently.

Stuck for words, I shook my head. He recommended a half-hour acupuncture and half-hour "tu nai" (Chinese massage) session. I nodded.

He ushered me into a room. There's a massage bed. Under it is a machine with wires coming out of it. The first time I had acupuncture was at least 20 years ago I had forgotten what it would be like. I froze like a cow caught in headlights.

"Will it hurt?" I asked.

"Only a little bit," he laughed gently.

I lie on my front and one by one, I felt the needles go in. The first one took me by surprise – it sent shock waves literally down my left leg. By the tenth needle, I lost count, but not consciousness.

I smelt something burning. "What's that?" I asked, thinking maybe he was frying my skin.

"I am doing fire therapy," he says. "Hot needles. Improves circulation."

It felt strangely serene lying there with needles poking into my skin. I thought of the story I had just read about how the Swedes were going crazy about this acupressure "bed of nails" – seems it's selling like hot cakes over there. Guess when you live in a country as cold as Sweden, anything could seem fun, including sleeping on nails.

One by one, I felt the needles being pulled out by his beautiful fingers. Then the "tu nai" physician took over – and that, my friends, is another story.

Suffice to say, I left the clinic, feeling like I could have hit a hole-in-one.

Yeoh Siew Hoon, one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, writes a regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry for 4Hoteliers.com.

Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her other writings can be found at www.thetransitcafe.com

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