LivingInPatagonia.com

Heading to El Bolson for Acupuncture

Written by Shanie

I have sustained my first real injury living in Argentina.

Our wonderful (or not so wonderful this day), soon-to-be-13, athletic dog, while hiking down from a camping trip deep in the Andes mountains, decided to make the stupidest move I have ever seen him do.  He attempted to cross a river directly above a raging, spring run-off, series of waterfalls.  His hind legs got caught in the current and started to drag him towards the point of no return.

I reacted as any mother would do…I jumped in to save him.  I succeeded but in the process gave myself a class two strain to the upper, exterior calf.  Then I had the pleasure of walking down a technical, slick rock decent with a heavy pack for four and a half hours.  To say the least…OUCH!

Fortunately, this is my first time experiencing this type of injury.  I did the bed rest, no walking, ice, compression, elevation and light massage for the first five days.  It is slowly healing but we decided that it would be a good move to have some acupuncture done to assist.

Unfortunately, we have yet to find a good acupuncturist in the Bariloche area so off to the town of El Bolson we headed.

As we have mentioned before, El Bolson is a cute, small, all-natural, hippy town.  I suppose because of the infux of hippies it is also a a bit more “enlightened” then other places in Argentina.  Such things as acupuncture, real Swedish massage, celestial concerts and other new age activities are easy to find in the quaint village.

We had been to the acupuncturist, M. Fernanda Magadán, one time before; last summer she had done a session with each of us to help with keeping the body running smoothly. 

Fernanda is the owner of El Recinto, a Tae Kwan Do, Pilates, massage and acupuncture center.  The entry greets you with the ying/yang symbol and Asian decorations.  The aroma of incense fills the air as you come through the door.  For a minute, it seems like you could be anywhere in the world, not a small town in the middle of nowhere.

Fernanda knew immediately what to do with my tight, sore leg.  She put some needles in both feet, the injured leg and my ears.  Then she taped magnets to me to help with the muscles loosening up.  She left me to rest and before I knew it my hour was up.  She had returned to remove the needles.

Immediately I could feel the change and knew that the chi was flowing.  I do love what acupuncture achieves.

I know that in Buenos Aires the ability to find Eastern medicine and other alternative healing modalities is easier.  The plus of living in a city with millions. 

But I have to say that getting to go to a small town that offers this means a lot to me.  Especially when we are in the wild, raw world of Patagonia. 

It helps me feel like I haven’t had to give up much moving from the United States.  I can still help my body be the strong, active human machine that I so appreciate that it is. 

I made an appointment for next week.  With my massage therapist husband, time and the needles I know that I am on the road to recovery.

I just hope that my crazy dog is done with his ”tough guy” stunts.