针灸-汉英对照.docVIP

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese system of health care. It aims to prevent and cure specific diseases and conditions by sticking very fine, solid needles into acupoints（穴位） of the body. How does acupuncture work? Acupuncture stimulates（刺激） the body’s ability to resist or overcome illnesses and conditions by correcting imbalances（调理失衡）. Acupuncture also prompts the body to produce chemicals that decrease or eliminate painful sensations. There are hundreds of acupuncture points (called acu-points) along the body’s 14 major meridians（经络）, or energy-carrying channels. Sixteenth century Chinese doctors used the term “Qi” to describe the energy that circulates through meridians. The belief is that illness is caused by a disruption of Qi, which leads to an imbalance of energy. Acupuncture can correct this energy disruption. There are many theories as to how acupuncture actually works. When acupuncture points are stimulated, it causes a dull ache（钝疼） or other sensations in the muscle. One theory holds that the stimulated muscle and sensory neurons（感觉神经元） send a message to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord脊髓), causing the release of endorphins（内啡肽）and other neurotransmitters（神经传递素） (body chemicals that modify nerve impulses神经冲动), which help block the message of pain from being delivered to the brain and have other regulatory effects as well. Other experts believe that acupuncture works by transmitting signals via the fascia（筋膜）. Fascia is like a thin sheath that surrounds all of the body’s muscles. Some acupuncturists consider the meridians to represent myofascial（肌筋膜） chains – which helps explain why stimulating an acupuncture point in the lower leg can affect the back or other areas. Interestingly, research shows that acupuncture points have a lower electrical resistivity（电阻率） than surrounding areas. In a practical sense, the meridian system provides a navigable energetic map of the body for acupuncturists to locate and treat many conditions. What hap