A FARMER who fought a lion to stop it attacking his cow was just one of the people treated by a Whitchurch acupuncturist while volunteering in India.

Teresa Dawkes, from Balance Acupuncture, St John’s Street in Whitchurch, has recently returned from her second trip volunteering with the UK-based World Medicine Charity.

The charity sends a team of six acupuncturists and six translators to a rural community in Gujarat, a region in north west India whose biggest city is Ahmedabad.

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Teresa said the experience was again one that left her delighted in trying to help those who needed it, as well as the welcome she received.

She said: “It was once again a privilege to spend some time in Chaparda and help people reduce or remove the pain they were in from injuries received from the hard lives they lead.

“We had a lovely welcome ceremony at the hospital where we were presented with flowers.

“A local schoolteacher who had back and shoulder pain for many years and was really happy to now be pain free after Teresa delivered treatment.

“The World Medicine team included nurses from the hospital who helped in the clinics.”

Teresa added that the clinics are based at Jay Ambe Hospital in Chaparda and provide free acupuncture treatments to each patient over the course of three weeks.

She said: “The clinics are very well attended with the team seeing more than 700 patients this year and delivering nearly 2,000 treatments.

“Most of the patients are farmers and attend with musculoskeletal problems such as back and knee pain.

“One of the more memorable patients I treated was a farmer with a shoulder injury from fighting off a lion who was attacking his cow.

“The lions live very close to the village and are a constant threat to not only the livestock but to the villagers themselves.

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“Other conditions treated while there included trigeminal neuralgia, digestive issues, migraines, menstrual, menopausal and mental health problems.

“Mental health problems are only just starting to be recognised as a problem in India where it is referred to as “tension” and is still seen as something of a taboo.”

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