This is a historic moment, marking the official confirmation of China’s status as the country of origin of Chinese medicine and acupuncture by the international community, effectively preventing the alienation and de-Chineseization of Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and laying an important foundation for the internationalization of Chinese medicine. Previously, as TCM acupuncture spread around the world, some countries claimed to be the country of origin of acupuncture, which had a negative impact on the development of TCM. A typical example is the Korean Association of Korean Medicine, which publicly stated in 2008 that “WHO did not choose Chinese and Japanese acupuncture points as the standard, but chose Korea.” Chinese experts subsequently refuted this, and the WHO later apologized to China for the incident.
Why should other countries compete for the status of origin of acupuncture, which clearly originated in China? This is because traditional medicine harbors enormous economic and social value, and is constantly the hardest hit by undue appropriation. Developed countries have used their technological advantages and rule-making power to repeatedly appropriate the traditional medicinal knowledge of other countries. Chinese medicine, represented by acupuncture, now has a global influence, and according to statistics, there are currently at least 200,000 acupuncturists abroad, with an annual service value of more than $10 billion. In developed countries, acupuncture treatment is expensive, as acupuncture therapists of course also earn a lot of money, which is why “learning acupuncture fever” in many developed countries in the West is prevailing.
However, this is such a piece of “fat meat”, now in its birthplace in China’s existence is not optimistic: due to a series of problems accumulated over the years can not be resolved, our domestic acupuncture sector has been a comprehensive shrinkage, this is an indisputable fact, and the consensus of the industry is that the factors that cause this situation Although there are many factors, I am afraid that the price issue is the main factor. In Beijing, for example, the current rate for acupuncture (4 yuan per acupuncture treatment, regardless of how many points are zapped) was promulgated in 1990 and has now been in effect for more than twenty years. The excessively low rates do not reflect the value of the acupuncturist’s knowledge at all, and even patients find them incredibly low, and there is no difference in the rates charged by doctors at different levels. The result is that most hospital acupuncture departments are currently unable to make ends meet and have become a burden to the hospital, relying only on social benefits to maintain their existence. Over the years, the phenomenon of low income of acupuncturists due to unreasonable prices has also led to a large brain drain from the acupuncture sector, with a large number of them going abroad.
So, can acupuncture cure diseases or not? What kind of diseases can it cure? How does it work?
There is no doubt that the value of acupuncture as a clinical treatment tool is objective, and this clinical value has even been recognized worldwide, as evidenced by the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) first proposed 43 diseases as indications for acupuncture in 1979, and then increased it to 64 in 1996 and promoted it worldwide.
From the perspective of modern medicine, acupuncture is a physical stimulation that causes the corresponding parts of the body to respond and generate bioelectrical signals to the brain, which, after analyzing and integrating the information, will make corresponding adjustments to the body and sometimes secrete therapeutic neurotransmitters. This series of adjustments will have an impact on the entire body’s state, thus allowing the patient to “heal himself”. There are several characteristics of acupuncture treatment.
First, it has clear indications. The indications of acupuncture generally refer to dysfunctional diseases that occur under the premise that the patient’s body structure is intact, such as dysfunctional dysmenorrhea in girls, irritable bowel syndrome caused by gastrointestinal dysfunction, etc. Even infertility caused by reproductive system dysfunction can be cured by acupuncture. -The patient’s organs are not damaged. When a patient is suffering from paralysis, dysmenorrhea, gastrointestinal pain, or infertility due to organic disease, it is difficult to improve the patient’s condition, no matter how much acupuncture is used, unless the root cause is ruled out. For example, in the case of paraplegia caused by earthquake or car accident, the patient’s spine has been damaged and the loss of function is unlikely to be reversed, so in this case it is a pipe dream to get such a patient up with acupuncture.
Second, the effectiveness of acupuncture is closely related to the patient’s functional status. If the same disease, the treatment effect of the elderly is generally worse than that of young people, and the treatment effect of the weak is generally worse than that of people who are usually in good health, because the elderly and weak body’s ability to react and regulate has decreased, and the response to stimulation is smaller.
Third, the greatest strength of acupuncture is that there is no over-medication, and when used correctly, there are no adverse side effects. “Chinese acupuncture is a true green treatment because it does not rely on external drugs, but simply regulates the body through stimulation to achieve the purpose of treatment, and it does have its unique characteristics in the treatment of certain diseases” For example, some people have a dry cough, which may start because of a cough caused by an upper respiratory tract infection, etc. If it cannot be cured even if it is, then repeated violent coughing may increase the excitability of the cough center in the brain so that their dry cough may continue even if the respiratory problems are resolved. In this case, the side effects of long-term cough suppressants are not negligible, while acupuncture treatment is not only effective but also very safe. In addition, insomnia and headaches caused by plant nerve disorders can be treated by acupuncture and are safer than taking medication.
Now some people in the society for some ulterior motive, acupuncture blows up like a miracle, but the real situation does not achieve the treatment effect, then the result will mislead the public, the public will certainly doubt the effectiveness of acupuncture, this false propaganda is very detrimental to the healthy development of acupuncture. Therefore, the publicity of acupuncture should be opposed to both mystification and vulgarization. For example, acupuncture beauty, now some beauty institutions use it as a gimmick, do not even know what it is, launched what “acupuncture breast enlargement”, “acupuncture thin legs”, “acupuncture thin face” …… In fact, scientifically speaking, acupuncture weight loss is indeed effective, but local slimming is mostly just a hype. The reason is that scientific research shows that the mechanism of acupuncture weight loss is through the regulation of the excitability of two centers in the brain (feeding center and satiety center), control appetite, reduce the amount of diet to achieve the goal of weight loss, through acupuncture treatment to achieve weight loss is generally a proportional reduction of the whole body, it is difficult to achieve the so-called “local slimming”. The acupuncture treatment is generally a proportional reduction of the whole body, and it is difficult to achieve the so-called “local slimming”. It is very difficult to succeed in weight loss if you only use acupuncture and do not change your habits.
Acupuncture is a discipline with a complete and scientific theoretical system. A good acupuncturist needs to master the knowledge of many related medical sciences (such as neurology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, otorhinolaryngology, etc.), design different treatment plans depending on the disease, and use a combination of different techniques to achieve significant treatment results.
However, acupuncture is a traditional medicine inherited for thousands of years. Compared with the rapid development of modern medicine in theory and clinical treatment methods, the discipline of acupuncture and moxibustion really lacks valuable major innovations in theory and clinical methods, which greatly limits the development of the discipline. From the situation of acupuncture departments in hospitals nationwide, acupuncture departments basically rely on the treatment methods inherited for thousands of years, such as milli-needle, fire pot, electric needle, moxibustion, plum blossom needle, etc., as the means of survival, due to the limitation of treatment measures, acupuncture treatment is difficult to break through the limitations of the body’s own adjustment ability, and although the indications are wide, there are few diseases that can be cured with certainty by acupuncture alone. Obviously, acupuncture needs to develop, and the acupuncture department needs to pursue the progress of treatment technology, and the development of acupuncture certainly requires the efforts of professionals in the field, but also the support of the government and the community, otherwise, the success of acupuncture inscription will not be significant.
In order to pursue technical progress, the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of China-Japan Friendship Hospital has been committed to building up the discipline under new ideas since 2005, and we have lost no time in introducing a distinctive item, acupuncture knife treatment, on the basis of maintaining the original traditional treatment items, and have carried out a series of research work and made encouraging progress We have conducted a series of studies and made encouraging progress.
The so-called “acupuncture knife” is a miniature treatment apparatus that is also a needle and a knife, its appearance is similar to acupuncture needles, but its essential difference with acupuncture needles is that there is a small blade (width ≤ 0.8 mm) at the end of the body of the needle, it is such a small blade, at once changed the role of traditional acupuncture needles: the main role of traditional acupuncture needles is to stimulate, while the acupuncture knife’s The main function of acupuncture needles is stimulation, while the main function of acupuncture knife is microform cutting, this change makes many diseases that acupuncturists could not do anything about in the past become “hand to hand”, such as tennis elbow, tendovaginitis, tendon sheath cysts, heel pain and other “minor problems”.
The characteristics of acupuncture treatment determine its main indications are chronic soft tissue diseases. The so-called chronic soft tissue diseases, in fact, are common problems in our population, in addition to the aforementioned several “minor ailments”, many of the common neck, shoulder, waist and leg pain is also suitable for acupuncture treatment, and the effect is certain. Not only are these “minor ailments” related to soft tissue lesions, but there are also some “major illnesses” that may be caused by soft tissue lesions. For example, intractable headaches. In the past, the headache that could not be detected by photograph or EEG was easily labeled as “neuropathic headache”, and all hospitals were unable to do anything about it, so the patients were not effectively treated for the rest of their lives and suffered a lot. Recent studies have found that most of the headaches are caused by cervical spine lesions, and these headaches are called “cervicogenic headaches”. For this type of headache, we have achieved convincing results with acupuncture treatment, and the impact has been felt both at home and abroad. Other diseases such as tinnitus, TMJ, and other more difficult conditions can also be treated with acupuncture.
The late Professor Wang Xuedai, Honorary Life President of the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies and a renowned leader in acupuncture, said of acupuncture that “acupuncture is a model of modernization of Chinese medicine”. The treatment of acupuncture is very similar to that of moxibustion, and although the systematic development of this therapy has only been in progress for more than 30 years, there is a record of “beryllium needles” similar to these needles in the ancient Chinese medical text “Huang Di Nei Jing”, which was written more than 2,000 years ago, and it can be said that acupuncture medicine is an extension and development of acupuncture medicine. The rapid development of acupuncture and moxibustion medicine in recent years has given us hope that the ancient discipline of acupuncture and moxibustion will be revitalized!
The successful inscription of acupuncture is certainly a good thing, but it does not mean that acupuncture can be protected naturally; it is just an opportunity. We can say that the inscription has put forward new requirements for the development of acupuncture, and we still have a lot of work to do in order to make acupuncture better serve the majority of patients.
At the Boao Forum for Asia breakfast meeting, former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing told a story: he visited a foreign country and a president said, “Thanks to your TCM doctors for curing me, now I am willing to have a ping pong match with you.” It turned out that a Chinese doctor in China served as the president’s health care doctor and rejuvenated his body, which was previously immobilized.
Today, Chinese medicine has been promoted and used in 171 countries and regions around the world, and its exact efficacy is increasingly recognized. However, the efficacy of TCM mainly comes from the classical heritage, and there are only a few innovations by modern people. Many people still have the impression of TCM as a silly, big, black medicine jar, smoky decoction, and black, bitter and unpleasant medicinal soup. With the rapid development of modern medicine, the position of TCM is shrinking and facing unprecedented challenges. With the change of medical model and the promotion of social demand, Chinese medicine is facing a rare opportunity period. The only way out for Chinese medicine to “blossom from the old tree” is innovation.
The vitality of Chinese medicine lies in theoretical innovation. Without theoretical innovation, Chinese medicine can only stand still. Throughout the development of Chinese medicine, from the Qin and Han dynasties, the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine laid the foundation of the theoretical system of Chinese medicine, to the emergence of the four great masters of the Jin dynasty, to the emergence of the Ming and Qing dynasties, theoretical innovation in Chinese medicine is the fundamental driving force for the development of Chinese medicine. Wu Yiling created the “theory of complex diseases”, which originated from the “Nei Jing”, and the clinical diagnosis and treatment were found in the “Treatise on Typhoid Miscellaneous Diseases”. On this basis, Wu Yiling combined clinical research and practice to propose the “three easy” characteristics of “easy to stagnate, easy to stasis”, “easy to enter but difficult to exit” and “easy to accumulate and form”. The theory of luo disease has been developed by Wu Yiling, who combined with clinical research and practice, proposed the “three easy” characteristics of luo disease: “easy to stagnate, easy to stasis”, “easy to enter but difficult to exit” and “easy to accumulate and form”. However, the innovation of TCM is not the dismemberment of TCM by western medical methods, nor is it the transformation of TCM by western medical theories to make TCM “not Chinese but not western”.
Chinese medicine innovation cannot be separated from clinical practice. Small needle knife therapy is a new medical discipline founded by Professor Zhu Hanzhang under the guidance of Chinese medicine theory, drawing on the principles of Western medicine surgery, with small needle knife as the main treatment means, fusing Chinese and Western medicine in one furnace, both the strengths of Chinese medicine, but also the advantages of Western medicine. The initial inspiration came from Zhu Hanzhang’s treatment of a patient with severe hand dysfunction, which was a “major problem”. It can be seen that innovation in Chinese medicine must be based on clinical practice, based on solving the actual problems of patients, leaving clinical practice becomes a source of water.
Modern technology is the leader and support of TCM innovation and development. For a long time, the impression of Chinese medicine is “a big handful, a big bowl of drinking”. Water decoction is still the most important way to use medicine in TCM clinics. However, the drawbacks of traditional decoction are becoming more and more obvious, such as the trouble of decoction, inconvenience of carrying, large quantity and difficulty of drinking, and difficulty of quality control. With the development of modern technology, a kind of Chinese medicine formula granules, commonly known as “no decoction Chinese medicine tablets”, was introduced, and drinking Chinese medicine was as convenient as drinking coffee, and the “scientific Chinese medicine” of Taiwan and the granules of Japan were sold well in Europe and America. In 1992, China started the scientific research and development of Chinese medicine formula granules and approved six pilot manufacturers of Chinese medicine formula granules to promote the industrialization of Chinese medicine formula granules. Unfortunately, the production of Chinese medicine formula granules has been put on hold for a long time, and is still stagnant at the initial pilot stage, without a unified national standard, and cannot formally enter the circulation field, and can only be used in local clinical hospitals for record. The people hope that policy barriers will be removed as soon as possible, so that Chinese medicine can say goodbye to the era of decoction as soon as possible.
China is the origin of Chinese medicine and should be the home of Chinese medicine innovation. If we just eat the old capital and hold on to the golden rice bowl of our ancestors, we will get poorer and poorer. The art of QIHUANG will only be able to live and die if we break out of the mold and keep innovating.