影／傳統中醫動物也適用？中獸醫分享幫馬針灸過程

針灸是中醫常見的治療方式，但許多人不知道的是，這項古老的技術也可以被運用到動物身上。來自北京的 Dong Wenchao 是馬匹針灸療法的專家，更與西藏馬術團隊合作，將針灸運用於提高賽馬對疼痛的忍受度及傷後復原速度，以增加賽馬的競爭力。

Acupuncture is a common treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but many don’t know that this ancient practice can also be used in treating animals.

Dong Wenchao, an expert in studying equine acupuncture, has worked with the Tibet Equestrian Team to improve racehorses’ competitiveness through pain management and injury recovery.

Dong Wenchao表示，在治療馬匹時，她一般選擇使用傳統中獸醫技術，包括針灸、艾灸、按摩和服用傳統中藥。治療過程與人相似，都要先進行例行身體檢查，例如測量體溫、心跳、呼吸等。

Dong Wenchao said that most of the time, she prefers using Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine including acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, and consumption of traditional medicines to prevent and treat diseases of horses.

Just as with humans, a horse acupuncturist first conducts a routine physical examination on the horse by measuring its body temperature, heartbeat and respiratory sounds.

不過，並非所有馬匹都能適應針灸。Dong Wenchao表示：「有些馬比較活潑，對針特別敏感、有些就比較安靜、喜歡人撫摸。對於活潑怕針的馬，我通常會先給他鎮定，再完成針灸治療」。

However, every horse reacts to acupuncture differently.

“Some horses easily overreact because they are very sensitive to needles, while others are quieter and enjoy people petting them. With horses afraid of acupuncture, I usually sedate him, then start the treatment.” She said.

Dong Wenchao 觀察到，針灸和艾灸對於有腹痛、腹瀉症狀的馬匹而言十分有效。她解釋道，艾灸就是將熱量傳導到特定的穴位或經絡，以達到改善氣血運行的功效。

Dong Wenchao observed that acupuncture and moxibustion are helpful for horses suffering from abdominal pain or having diarrhea.

She explained that moxibustion transfers heat to some specific acupoints via a lit moxa. It expels cold and warms the body with better blood circulation.

她也指出，馬的穴位大部分是從人的穴位上轉換過來的，不過也有一些穴位是馬特有的，稱之為「經典穴位」。

She pointed out that though horses have some similar acupoints like a human, they also have their unique ones too, which are called ‘classic acupoints.’

儘管針灸療法可以治療許多馬身上的疾病，例如運動傷害、骨骼肌傷害、呼吸道疾病和消化問題，但Dong Wenchao也承認，有許多疾病針灸僅能緩解而不能根治。

Though acupuncture can be applied for many conditions in horses, such as sports injury, skeletal muscle injury, issues related to the respiratory tract and digestive tract, Dong Wenchao admitted that there are problems that acupuncture can only cushion but not solve.

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