“电针灸” 的前世今生（深度好文）

Therapeutic Methods

「治疗方法」

TCM encompasses several methods designed to help patients achieve and maintain health. There are 6 modern therapeutic methods used in TCM, including acupuncture, moxibustion, tui na massage, cupping/scraping, Chinese herbs, and TCM nutrition.6 Acupuncture is the most often practiced component of TCM.

「中医包括几种帮助患者达到和保持健康的方法。现代中医有6种治疗方法，包括针刺、艾灸、推拿、拔火罐/刮痧、中草药和中医营养学。针灸是中医临床最常用的治疗方法。」

1.

What is Acupuncture?

什么是针刺？

Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used complementary and alternative medical treatments in the world. It typically is not considered a stand-alone treatment but a part of TCM. Despite having originated in China during the Shang Dynasty in 1600-1100 B.C., it has only become popular in the Western hemisphere since 1971.

「针刺是世界上最古老和最常用的补充和替代疗法之一。它通常不被认为是一种独立的治疗方法，而是中医学的一部分。尽管它起源于公元前1600-1100年的中国商朝，但直到1971年才在西半球开始流行。」

Acupuncture began with the discovery that stimulating specific areas of the skin affected the physiologic functioning of the body, and it has evolved into a scientific system of healing that restores and maintains health. In 1993, the US Food and Drug Administration estimated that Americans made 12 million visits per year to acupuncture practitioners.

「针刺始于人们发现刺激特定部位的皮肤会影响身体的生理功能，它已经发展成为一种科学的治疗系统，用于恢复和保持健康。1993年，美国食品和药物管理局估计，美国人每年拜访针灸医生的次数为1200万次。」

图片来源：Practical Paln Management (PPM)

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting and manipulating needles into the superficial skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscles of the body at particular acupuncture points. In TCM, there are as many as 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, which are connected by 12 main meridians.8 These meridians conduct Qi between the surface of the body and its internal organs. Acupuncture is believed to keep the balance between Yin (associated with the parasympathetic nervous system) and the Yang (associated with the sympathetic nervous system). This allows for the normal flow of Qi associated with neural transmission throughout the body and restores health to the mind and body.

「针刺是把针刺入（包括行针）位于皮肤浅层、皮下组织、和身体的肌肉的特定的穴位的操作。在中医中，人体上有多达2000个穴位，它们与12条正经相连。这些经络在体表和脏腑之间传导气。针刺被认为可以保持阴(与副交感神经系统有关)和阳(与交感神经系统有关)之间的平衡。这可以使气与神经传导得以正常输布到全身并且恢复人体的身心健康。」

At times, electroacupuncture, the process in which an electrical current is applied to the needles once they are inserted, may be used to further stimulate the respective acupuncture points and often can be used to replace manipulation of needles.9 Electroacupuncture has been found to be especially effective in treating neuromuscular disorders.

「有时，电针，一种将电流施加到针上的过程，一旦进针之后，可进一步刺激每一个腧穴，并且经常用来代替行针操作。电针被发现对于治疗神经肌肉疾病特别有效。」

Scientific Evidence for Acupuncture

针刺的科学依据

There is promising scientific evidence to support the use of acupuncture for chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis and headaches, and limited support for neck pain.10 Acupuncture also tends to provide a short-term, clinically relevant effect when compared with a control or when acupuncture is added to another intervention in the treatment of chronic low back pain.11 Acupuncture generally is safe when administered using clean needles, either disposable or sterilized.

「有很有前途的科学证据支持针刺用于慢性疼痛的治疗，如关节炎和头痛，以及对于颈部疼痛的治疗有一定的作用。与对照组相比，或在治疗慢性腰痛时将针刺加入到其他干预措施中，针刺也往往能够提供短期的临床相关效果。针刺通常是安全的，只要使用干净的针头，无论是一次性或经过无菌消毒的。」

Many patients express concerns about acupuncture due to their needle phobia. Unlike other needles, acupuncture needles are solid and hair-thin. They generally are inserted no more than a half-inch to an inch depending on the type of treatment being delivered. Acupressure, the application of pressure to key points with the fingers, and auricular acupuncture, the application of small needles, vicaria seeds, pellets, or ear tacks to specific points of the ear, may serve as alternatives for patients with needle phobia.

「许多患者因为害怕针而表达了对针刺治疗的担忧。与其他针不同的是，针灸针坚固而细如发丝。根据提供的治疗不同，针刺的深度一般不超过半英寸到一英寸。指压疗法，用手指按压在关键腧穴上，耳穴疗法，在耳朵的特定穴位上使用小针、王不留行种子、金属小球或图钉型皮内针，这两种疗法可以作为对针恐惧症患者的替代疗法。」

In TCM, the ear is believed to be a microcosm of the body. There are points throughout the ear, with each point related to an anatomical structure and named for the function of that structure. The most commonly used points are the “hunger” point for weight loss, the “calming” point for stress management, and the “lung” point for smoking cessation. Depending on the seriousness and duration of the condition being treated, the traditional acupuncture visit may take between 30 to 60 minutes.

「在中医学中，耳朵被认为是身体的缩影。耳朵各处都有穴位，每个穴位都与一个解剖结构相关，并根据该结构的功能命名。最常用的是“饥饿”点用于减肥，“镇定”点用于压力管理，“肺”点用于戒烟。根据治疗的严重程度和持续时间，传统的针刺治疗每次可能需要30到60分钟。」

It may take several visits to see significant improvement of the chronic pain condition. While each person experiences acupuncture differently, most people feel only a minimal amount of pain as the needles are first inserted. When practiced by a licensed, trained acupuncturist, acupuncture is extremely safe. Acupuncture often is accompanied by other TCM methods outlined below.

「可能需要多次就诊才能看到慢性疼痛状况的显著改善。虽然每个人的针刺体验都不一样，但大多数人只是在刚刚进针的时候感到轻微的疼痛。当由一个有执照的，训练有素的针灸师治疗时，针刺治疗是非常安全的。针刺治疗经常和其他中医方法同时使用，现概述如下。」

2. What is Moxibution?

什么是艾灸？

Moxibustion is a therapy that involves burning moxa, mugwort root, made from dried Artimesia vulgaris, a spongy herb, to facilitate healing. Burning moxa produces a great deal of smoke and a pungent odor that can be confused with that of cannabis. The purpose of moxibustion is to warm and invigorate the blood, stimulate the flow of Qi, strengthen the kidney Yang, expel wind and disperse cold, and dissolve stagnation.

「艾灸是一种点燃干燥的海绵状草本植物制成的艾叶，从而促进愈合的治疗方法。燃烧艾条会产生大量的烟雾和一种可以与大麻混淆的刺鼻气味。艾灸的目的是温补气血，理气活血，强壮肾阳，祛风散寒，化瘀散瘀。」

There are 2 types of moxibustion, direct and indirect. In direct moxibustion, a small, cone-shaped amount of moxa is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. The patient will experience a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deep into the skin using this technique.

「灸法有直接灸法和间接灸法两种。在直接灸法中，把一小块锥形的艾柱放在一个穴位上，然后点燃。使用这种技术，患者会体验到一种渗透皮肤深处的舒适的温热感觉。」

Indirect moxibustion is the more popular form of care. In indirect moxibustion, a practitioner lights one end of a moxa stick and holds it close to the area being treated for several minutes until the area turns red. Historically, this therapy had been used to treat menstrual pain.

「间接灸法是一种比较流行的治疗方式。在间接艾灸中，一个医生点燃艾条的一端，并将其保持在治疗区域附近几分钟，直到该区域变红。历史上，这种疗法曾被用来治疗通经。」

A substitute for moxibustion may be the Teding Diancibo Pu (TDP) lamp, another method of using warming therapy. The TDP lamp has become a new fixture in many practices because it is as effective as moxa but does not cause respiratory difficulties in sensitive patients. Unlike a traditional heating lamp, the TDP lamp features a plate coated with a mineral formation consisting of 33 elements.

「特定电磁波谱照射灯（TDP）可能成为艾灸疗法的替代品，这是另一种温热治疗方法。TDP灯已经成为许多医疗实践中的一种新设备，因为它与艾条一样有效，但不会造成敏感患者的呼吸困难。与传统的加热灯不同，TDP灯的特点是具有一个涂有由33种元素组成的矿物层的金属板。」

3. What Is Tui Na Massage?

什么是推拿？

The name for this method of TCM comes from two of the actions of the therapy, tui meaning “to push” and na meaning “to lift and squeeze.” Tui na, a combination of massage, acupressure, and other forms of body manipulation, is a form of Asian bodywork therapy that has been used in China for centuries. The details of tui na’s techniques and uses were originally documented in The Yellow Emperor’s Classics of Internal Medicine,15 which was written about 2,500 years ago.

「这种中医治疗方法的名称来自于治疗的两个动作，“推”的意思是“推”，“拿”的意思是“提和捏”。推拿是一种结合了按摩、穴位按摩和其他身体手法的疗法，是一种亚洲身体疗法，在中国已经使用了几个世纪。推拿技术和使用的细节最早记载在《黄帝内经》中，距今大约2500年。」

In a typical tui na session, the patient remains clothed and sits on a chair. The practitioner will ask a series of questions and then begin treatment. The type of massage delivered by a tui na practitioner can be quite vigorous at times. Practitioners may sometimes use herbal compresses, ointments, and heat to enhance these techniques. Tui na is best suited for rectifying chronic pain and musculoskeletal conditions. Tui na is considered one of the “external” medical therapies of TCM, another being cupping/scraping.

「在一个典型的推拿治疗过程中，病人仍然穿着衣服，坐在椅子上。医生会询问一系列问题，然后开始治疗。推拿师所提供的按摩有时会非常有力。医生有时会使用膏药、软膏和热敷来加强治疗效果。」

「推拿手法最适合用于治疗慢性疼痛和肌肉骨骼疾病。推拿手法被认为是中医的“外”治法之一，另外还有拔火罐/刮痧。」

素材来源：Practical Paln Management (PPM)

本文特别感谢：David Cosio,PhD, ABPP

Erica H. Lin,PharmD,BCACP

By：宏小医

■ DEPTH