(Text/Lv Mengqi Xieyuan) Slender milli-needles, with different techniques, gently pierced into the acupuncture points of the human body, can treat a variety of difficult diseases, which is acupuncture. It comes from the ancient Chinese wisdom, which has been promoted and applied by more than 190 countries for thousands of years, and has become the most widely used and accepted traditional medicine in the world.
In brazil, India, South Africa and other BRICS countries, acupuncture therapy is being accepted and favored by more and more people.
The "Oriental Needle" took root in Brazil
At the Huiqing Physician Clinic on Liberty Avenue in downtown São Paulo, Brazil, patient Alisai has just finished her acupuncture treatment. She said that after 30 minutes of treatment, she felt relaxed all over her body.
Alisé, who lives in Minas Gerais, is over half a hundred years old and needs an 8-hour night train ride from her hometown to São Paulo. Even so, she insisted on coming to São Paulo almost every month, and it had been more than a decade.
"My illness has long since healed, and now I come every time to take care of my body." Alissay said that more than a decade ago, she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, and the joints of her body were painful, large and small, and even difficult to walk. Under the introduction of a friend, she came to the clinic of acupuncture doctor Hui Qing for treatment, and soon the effect was achieved.
"Stories like this happen in Brazil every day." Hui Qing, vice president of the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies, said acupuncture treatment has become a daily medical tool in the local area, and people regard it as the "Oriental God Needle".
Acupuncture entered Brazil in the 1980s. In 2006, acupuncture ushered in spring in Brazil. The Brazilian government issued a special 971 law, acupuncture was included in the national medical system and medical insurance system, and officially entered the public hospital.
According to the data, there are currently 6 medical universities in Brazil that have set up acupuncture courses, and more than ten acupuncture schools have been opened, sending more than 30,000 professionals to the society every year. "At present, there are about 150,000 official acupuncturists in Brazil, of which about 80% are professional doctors who have graduated from medical universities, and most of them are locals." Hui Qing said.
A charity hospital sees "needle" love
Founded in 1976, the Ke Di Hua Acupuncture Charity Hospital in the heart of Ludhiana, Punjab, northwestern India, is india's first indoor acupuncture medical institution.
Indgeget Singh, the president of the acupuncture industry for more than 48 years, spoke about the hospital's ties to China when the 68-year-old gushed in a video interview.
In the 1930s, Indian doctors Ke Dihua and BasuHua participated in the Indian anti-Japanese medical team to aid China. In China, Ke Dihua, who has just turned 32, gave his young life. In 1957, Basuhua visited China again and experienced acupuncture treatment. He suffered from sinusitis and the therapeutic effect of acupuncture was obvious. After careful study, Basuhua brought acupuncture back to India, treating diseases and saving people, while training acupuncture doctors.
Acupuncture is truly embraced by the masses in the city of Ludhiana thanks to a generous donation from one of Singer's patients.
In 1975, the wife of a local landlord was bedridden for 5 years due to arthritis, and after trying various methods, it still had little effect, and finally found Singer with the mentality of trying it out. "It was a great opportunity to prove acupuncture, I did my best to treat the patient, after 2 months, she regained her ability to walk, and after seven or eight months she was fully recovered." Singer said.
As a token of gratitude, the next year the landowner donated a valuable piece of land in the city center to Singer. This is now the location of the Ke Di Hua Acupuncture Charity Hospital.
Over the past few decades, the hospital has gradually developed from a small clinic with only 1 room and 2 beds to a regular hospital with more than 200 doctors and 39 acupuncture beds, and nearly 2,000 patients receive acupuncture every year.
"This is a real 'people's hospital' and the building is brick by brick by the patients who have recovered from treatment here." Singh proudly said the building was seen by local people as a symbol of Sino-Indian friendship.
Thanks to the growing influence of the Kerber Acupuncture Charity Hospital, the Indian government recognized acupuncture as a medical method through an executive order in 2003. In 2019, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India officially issued a decree recognizing acupuncture as an independent medical/therapeutic system, making a major breakthrough in India's acupuncture legislation.
South African university blows the "wind of acupuncture"
In June, the "Rainbow Nation" South enters the winter unofficially, and the temperature in the morning has become a little cooler. In the acupuncture class at the University of Johannesburg, Andy Carr was discussing with her classmates the questions raised by acupuncture teacher Hu Zijing.
South Africa has a tradition of using herbal medicine, and the locals revere naturopathy. Carl was exposed to traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture from an early age, and chose a related major after entering university. The University of Johannesburg, where she attended, first offered acupuncture classes in February 2020 and is the only school in South Africa to offer acupuncture courses.
"In the past three years, the enthusiasm of the students has been consistent, and a continuous 'wind of acupuncture' has been set off on campus." Hu Zijing said.
Before the first start of the course in 2020, more than 1,000 students applied for acupuncture-related majors, and only 45 were admitted. In 2022, although the number of admissions has been expanded to 58, more than 7,000 people have applied, and the competition has become increasingly fierce. In just 3 years, the acupuncture program has also stood out from the many courses of this national key university and become one of the most popular courses among the top 15 students.
"In order to ensure the gold content, we screen at all levels when we are admitted, and select the best of the best." Hu Zijing said that in addition to submitting high school grades, completing the corresponding papers, and also accepting interviews, the whole process has high requirements for the candidates' learning ability, "This is so that in the future, every student who goes out from here has the ability to become an acupuncturist, so as to help the industry develop more healthily and orderly." ”
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, Sinha, believes that TCM and acupuncture are important components in the field of complementary medicine and can improve the health care of the South African people. Especially for students from some remote and impoverished areas of South Africa, returning to their hometowns after mastering these medical skills will play a positive role in improving the level of local medical services.
Russian acupuncture "ambassador" in China
In the field of cerebral palsy rehabilitation in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, there is a well-known "net red" rehabilitation teacher. Blonde and tall, he has helped more than 3,000 foreign patients come to China for acupuncture treatment.
The "foreign doctor" is named Kurbanov, from Russia, and has been studying and practicing Traditional Chinese medicine in China for more than 10 years.
Kurbanov's sister went to Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. After graduating from high school, he applied to study at Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and then found a job at the Yuncheng Head Needle Research Institute.
Long-term study and practice have made Kurbanov find that the comprehensive use of acupuncture, Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and other methods can help the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. He set up a Russian website on the treatment of cerebral palsy, dedicated to the use of acupuncture in China for cerebral palsy.
Unexpectedly, this website has attracted the attention of many people in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other countries. Kurbanov said that more than 3,000 people with cerebral palsy have now come to China for treatment through the website, all of which are received by Shanxi Hospital, including the Yuncheng Head Needle Research Institute where he works.
"For children with cerebral palsy, the efficacy of Traditional Chinese medicine on scalp nerve stimulation has an incomparable effect of other treatment methods," said Zhao Jiwei, former president of the Yuncheng Head Acupuncture Research Institute. ”
In 2017, witnessed by the ministers of health and heads of delegations of five countries, the BRICS Joint Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation in Traditional Medicine (hereinafter referred to as the "Declaration") was released in Tianjin. Liu Baoyan, president of the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies, believes that the release of the Declaration expresses the brics' common understanding of traditional medicine – only by making traditional medicine play a further role can we better protect the human health community.
Source: Reference News Network