I'VE always had problems with my knees. And I'm not talking about their physical appearance.

When I was a child I suffered from Osgood-Schlatters Disease - a condition that occurs in growing children where the bony protrusion below the knee becomes inflamed, painful and swollen.

Since then I've accepted that I've got weak knees - insert joke here.

Before heading off on a bike ride, I stretch out my knees and wait for the inevitable click.

After physical exercise I usually have a very dull, annoying ache.

I'd learnt to live with it - until now.

Last year I started training for triathlons.

I'm not a natural runner and it was playing havoc with my knees.

A knee support helped and it was a pain I decided I could live with.

Then I had a chat with acupuncturist Gary Hussey from the Bournemouth Clinic for Osteopathy and Acupuncture.

We happened to be chatting about the benefits that acupuncture has for infertility, and somehow got onto the conversation of running.

Gary offered to have a look to see if he could help.

After checking my knees he said there was a build-up of fluid, and decided to check my pulses, where he discovered I had a blocked meridian - this meant the energy wasn't flowing properly.

So Gary stuck a needle in my toe, one in my foot and another up my leg and left me to relax on the couch for 20 minutes.

I'd had acupuncture before, for general well-being, but for some reason I'd never thought about this ancient holistic approach to help me with my aches - gosh I sound old!

That was the first of a series of acupuncture sessions.

To be honest, I thought it was probably a little pointless.

I was putting my knees under extreme pressure running 10km, three times a week, so I was a little sceptical.

Following the session, my left knee ached.

The next day I went for a 10km run. I waited for the dull ache, but nothing happened.

I could only assume it was psychological.

The next time I saw Gary, a month later, I told him what I'd experienced and although he was shocked, he said some people react quicker than others.

After checking the points on my wrist (the monitor where acupuncturists can tell problem areas) he said there was still a blockage, so I lay on the bed as Gary put another pin in my toe on both my left and right foot.

To those who've never experienced acupuncture, it probably sounds painful.

I can assure you, it's not. The needles are about the width of a hair and it feels as if someone has pulled on a hair as it goes in, nothing more.

Oddly enough, my knee pain seemed to almost disappear.

Following a solid week of snowboarding, where I really punished my knee, I felt a slight twinge, but one session of acupuncture later, it was gone.

I must admit, I'm still shocked. I can't quite believe that a pain that I have lived with for over 15 years has gone.

This season will bring its fair share of triathlons and no doubt at some point I will have that familiar twinge, at which point I shall be returning to Gary to sort it out.

But for now, I'm converted back to this traditional alternative therapy.