Needling away to gain big sway

Recollecting the early days, Wang says that most of his early patients were Chinese. "Only 20 percent of my patients are Chinese now." Many patients like Austria come to the TCM clinic on their own, while others come through referrals, Wang says.

His first foreign patient was a Belgian who came to him for treatment for chronic neck pain. "The acupuncture therapy helped cure his pain. He recommended my name to several other European clients."

Wang says he even receives patients from Germany and cites the example of an opera singer from Stuttgart who visits Antwerp just for TCM treatment.

At the same time, he says it is not easy to convince foreign patients about the efficacy and safety of TCM.

"While some patients are supporters of natural, herbal and other alternative treatments, there are those who are concerned about the pain caused by surgery. Acupuncture therapy addresses most of the common problems effectively," he says.

Lufrano Nicola, an Italian chef, testifies to the benefits of TCM. Nicola used to suffer from debilitating pain after surgery and was prescribed powerful painkillers that had side effects. After hearing about TCM from his wife and friends, he decided to consult Wang. "I came here twice a week for two months. Now my pain has almost disappeared," he says.

Knowledge of acupuncture and Chinese medicine has grown in Europe in the past decade, thanks to the promotion of Chinese media and the cultural communication between West and East, Wang says.