VALLETTA 17 MAY (Xinhua) (Xinhua) About 6 months back, Daniel Bugeja could hardly walk due to back and leg pains brought on by sciatica despite taking a number of pills. The problem got worse when he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

But, after acupuncture treatment in the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) in Malta, Bugeja is regaining the freedom he once enjoyed and also his life in the community.

A 51 year-old Maltese national working for a government department, started TCM treatments in the month of November of last year. The debilitating pain he was suffering from had begun around two years prior to.

So so far, Bugeja has had the TCM treatment nearly 20 times. “It helped me to gain my normal life back,” he told Xinhua.

Established in 1994 The MRCTCM is a health cooperative with more than 100 Chinese physicians that have seen around 200 000 patients so far.

Bugeja tried acupuncture for the first time after an acquaintance had recommended it. Then, he is a fan of it for friends with similar issues, even if they’re afraid of needles.

In the last week of December the man had spent three days in the bed and fourteen days in quarantine in his home after being diagnosed with COVID-19. But, even when he was cured from the infection, he continued to cough and was extremely tired – even getting up a flight of stairs was too much for him.

After he recommenced treatments at MRCTCM to treat his sciatica physician, Zhou Lingyun, suggested that he consider acupuncture for treating his cough and regain his power.

“I didn’t take any medication and the cough did not go away,” Bugeja said.

In regards to his sciatica His prior doctors had advised him they would need to endure the pain and was able to accept it. The medications he was prescribed caused him to be anxious as well as upset stomach. There was nothing that worked, other than Chinese medicine.

“Now the back of my back is good!” He told Xinhua.

He was previously intrigued by Asian culture and was aware about TCM. He said, however:

“I didn’t think I’d ever use it myself,” he said. “Now I encourage people to visit an Chinese clinic and you’ll be fine.” Final