针灸智慧的力量 The power of acupuncture wisdom

I closed my eyes, trying to forget about the dozens of tiny needles firmly inserted across my arm and fingers. I dared not to move, because even a small change of posture could trigger a sharp pain, as if the long needle heads were ripping through my muscles.

我闭上眼睛，尽力不去想几十根针紧紧插在我的手臂和手指上的可怕场面。我不敢动，因为一旦稍稍动弹一下，就会引发剧烈的疼痛，好像这些长长的针头正在我的肌肉里肆意穿梭。

This is how I sat, for two hours every day over the past month, in an acupuncture clinic in Sichuan. In that shabby and cramped room, I spent many long hours counting the clock, waiting for the moment for the doctor to release my needles. 

在过去的一个月里，我每天都这样在四川的一家针灸诊所里呆两个小时。在那破旧而拥挤的房间里，我一直掐着表，等着医生给我拔掉针的那个时刻。

Growing up, I’ve always dismissed acupuncture as an old-fashioned pseudoscience. Its long treatment hours, painful process, combined with a relatively slow recovery speed means it’s not at all appealing, especially when the same illness could often be cured by simply taking a pill.

从小到大，我一直认为针灸是一种过时的伪科学。它治疗时间漫长，过程痛苦，痊愈速度较慢，相比于仅服一片药丸就能痊愈的西医，它根本没有吸引力。

But the drama of my recent strange illness and recovery changed my mind completely.

但最近我患的怪病和其戏剧般的康复彻底改变了我的想法。

Last month, when I slept through a long-haul flight from London to Beijing, I was shocked upon waking up to discover that I could no longer move my right arm and fingers. There was no pain, no bruise, no scar. Instead, my arm just simply did not follow my brain’s instructions to move, as if it no longer belonged to my body.

上个月，我在从伦敦到北京的长途航班上睡觉，醒来时我惊讶地发现自己的右臂和手指动不了了。我一点也不疼，手上也没有淤青和伤疤。但手臂就是不能按照我大脑的指示移动，好像它不再是我身体的一部分一样。

The doctors at the Sino Japanese Friendship Hospital diagnosed me with neural injury. Aside from prescribing me with some pills and recommending that I see a physiotherapist(理疗师), he admitted that there was nothing more he could do. “Rest for two months first and come back for further checkup,” he told me.

中日友好医院的医生诊断我为神经损伤。除了给我开一些药片、推荐我去看理疗师之外，他承认他已经无能为力了。“先休息两个月，然后回来再做进一步的检查，”他这样告诉我。

I was horrified.

我吓坏了。

In that moment of despair, a long-time family friend, who is an acupuncturist in Sichuan, offered to help. 

在绝望的时刻，一位在四川做针灸师的老朋友主动给我提供了帮助。

I started my acupuncture treatment the next day. If I was sceptical at first, my worries were soon appeased by the results. After a few days, I could move my fingers. Two weeks later, I could eat a meal with chopsticks. Within a month, my arm and fingers were almost back to their normal functions.

第二天我就开始接受了针灸治疗。如果说我一开始还满心怀疑的话，我的担心很快就被疗效所缓和了。几天后，我就能动一动我的手指。两个星期后，我就能吃用筷子吃饭了。不到一个月，我的手臂和手指就几乎恢复了正常。

In that clinic, I made friends with many other patients and heard their stories. One 11-year-old boy, who was born with severe autism(自闭症), started daily acupuncture treatment at the age of three, and now he thinks and communicate quite normally. One lady, who suddenly became deaf in one ear two months ago, has just recovered her hearing abilities.

在那个诊所里，我还结识了许多其他病人，听到了他们的故事。一名生下来就患有严重自闭症的11岁男孩在3岁时便开始每天接受针灸治疗，现在他基本能正常思考和交流。还有一位女士，两个月前突然聋了，最近刚恢复听力。

An old man, who strides across the room of the clinic every day to develop his walking abilities, was previously almost disabled in one leg. Other patients were getting treatment for their jaw infection, cold, fever, knee injury, eczema, among other illnesses.

一位老人每天都在诊所里散步，恢复自己的行走能力，而他以前几乎一条腿都瘫痪了。有的病人在治疗下颌感染，还有的在治感冒、发烧、膝盖受伤、湿疹等疾病。

I could not help but marvel at how these tiny needles are capable of curing so many different illnesses, many of which even big hospitals with expensive medical devices struggle with. Is it magic? Or simply luck? My curiosity led me on a journey of investigation.

我不禁感叹，这些细小的针是如何能够治愈这么多不同的疾病，这些疾病里有许多甚至连拥有昂贵医疗设备的大医院也难以应付。这是魔法吗？或只是运气？我的好奇心促使我对针灸进行了调查。

Acupuncture originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. Essentially, it functions by improving the smooth flow of life force energy, known in Chinese as “qi”, from the body’s primary organs to body tissues of the skin, muscles, tendons, bones, and joints.

针灸起源于2000多年前的中国。从本质上讲，它的作用原理是促进生命能量的顺畅流动，这些生命能量被中国人称之为“气”，这些气从身体的主要器官发出，流动到皮肤、肌肉、肌腱、骨骼和关节等身体组织。

The channels through which “qi” flows from the organs to tissues are called meridians, and it is along the meridians where most acupuncture needle points are located. In other words, the needles work by repairing damages to the infrastructure of our bodies, to ensure that the life force energy of “qi” can flow smoothly.

“气”从器官流动到组织的通道称为经络，针灸的位置主要也就是沿着这些经络。换句话说，针灸就是修复我们身体机能的损伤，确保“气”这种生命能量能够顺畅地流动。

Although acupuncture by itself is insufficient to cure all illnesses, at least it creates a good starting point to build a healthy body.

虽然针灸本身不足以治愈所有疾病，但至少它为重塑健康身体打下了一个很好的基础。

In more recent times, acupuncture spread internationally. In the UK, more than 3,000 acupuncturists certified by the British Acupuncture Council are currently practicing. London Southbank University now offers a three-year undergraduate degree in acupuncture, and even the NHS (National Health Service) sometimes prescribe acupuncture treatment.

近期，针灸在国际上广泛传播。在英国，就有经英国针灸理事会认证的3000多名针灸师挂牌营业。伦敦南岸大学还提供了针灸三年制本科学位，英国国民医疗服务体系（NHS）甚至有时也会开出针灸疗法。

Growing global acceptance has proved the strength of acupuncture, and I hope this wisdom of the Chinese tradition will continue to thrive, to bring health and happiness to friends here and afar.

越来越高的全球接受度证明了针灸的力量，我希望这项中国传统的智慧能继续茁壮成长，把健康和幸福带给身边和远方的朋友。