Chinese acupuncture can cure 461 diseases, said an expert with
Chinese Acupuncture Clinic Research Center in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
Du Yuanhao, 43-year-old doctor, gave the conclusion after
four-year's study on the acupuncture functions together with his
team.
According to Du's findings, most of the diseases to which
acupuncture is effective are in the nervous system, the digestive
system, the genitourinary system, muscles, bones and skins, such as
stroke, diarrhea, enteritis, dementia and skin rashes.
The points for acupuncture are in flesh, and that is why the
treatment can be effective to diseases in muscles and skins, Du
said. "Besides, points are rich in nerves. Thus it can also cure
diseases in the nervous system and other systems whose functions
are directly controlled by nerves."
Although acupuncture is convenient and with less side effects
compared with other forms of medical treatment, it couldn't cure
every disease. As for these 461 diseases, Du noted, its effects are
different.
The professor is now working at classification for the 461
diseases. "I am going to categorize them into three levels -- those
could be cured solely by acupuncture, those to which acupuncture is
the major treatment and those with acupuncture as assisting
treatment.
Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine with a
history of over 2,000 years. It involves insertion of fine metallic
needles on the body to relieve pain and cure diseases.
(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2006)