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Mechanism Points to Acupuncture Pain Relief

Research on acupuncture just got a shot in the arm. Well, a needle near the knee, actually. Because a study in the journal Nature Neuroscience [Maiken Nedergaard et al, Hwx] has uncovered a mechanism that could explain how this traditional healing process can help reduce pain.

针灸学研究又助人一 “臂”之力。好吧,这一针实际上是扎在膝盖部位的。《自然—神经科学》上刊登的一项研究向人们揭示了传统针灸止痛的原理。

Acupuncture has long been tried against all sorts of ailments, from aches and pains to infertility. And though the Western world treats the procedure with some skepticism, it’s actually endorsed by the World Health Organization for a couple dozen different conditions. But how can sticking needles in your skin be good for you?

从病痛到不育,针灸长期以来被应用于各种各样的病症治疗。尽管西方对针灸还持有怀疑态度,但在众多医学事实面前,世界卫生组织已经承认并推崇针灸。那到底在皮肤上扎两根针是怎样对人起作用的呢?

Scientists tried the technique on mice that had a pain in the paw, inserting and rotating the needles in the mouse version of one of the most effective acupoints in Chinese medicine. And they found that the tissues around the treated acupoint get flooded with adenosine, a chemical that provides relief by preventing pain signals from reaching the brain.

科学家们对脚掌有伤痛的老鼠进行了针灸——在老鼠身上某穴位扎针、捻转,然后他们发现在该穴位周围的组织中产生了大量的腺苷三磷酸。这种化学物质能够阻止疼痛信号传递到大脑,从而缓解疼痛。

This biochemical blockade reduced the animals’ discomfort, as did treating them with drugs that boost the amount of adenosine in the tissue. The scientists say the pain relief stems from the body’s natural response to minor tissue injury. So acupuncture’s analgesic effect may have finally been pinned down.

就像用药物刺激组织产生大量腺苷三磷酸一样,这种封锁舒缓了动物们的不适。科学家们称,人体对轻微组织破损的自然反应缓解了疼痛。至此,针灸止痛原理也应该明了了。

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