By stretching, resetting, and re-aligning, traditional Chinese bone-setting therapy can alleviate bone-related pain by using small splints to cure fractures, disarticulation and other orthopedic diseases. These specialized bone-setting techniques play a significant role in Traditional Chinese Medicine and have been used for more than 3,000 years. Early in the Zhou Dynasty, specialized practitioners were delegated for curing orthopedic disorders. Fundamental theories and techniques were formulated during the Qin and Han Dynasties, including the Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies, The Secret Prescriptions for Curing Fractures and Wounds, Invaluable Prescriptions for Ready Reference, and the Golden Mirror of Medicine, which all hold enormous volumes of information on this and have been passed down from one generation to another.
Traditional Chinese bone-setting has not only created a unique theoretical system with perfected curing principles and methods, but has also accumulated extremely rich experience over the course of its extensive medical practices. The small splint immobilization was invented by Chinese medical experts and was eventually copied by other countries because of its effectiveness. The traditional Chinese bone-setting can be regarded as one of the great contributions that Traditional Chinese Medicine has made to the world.
The affordable efficacy and accessibility of Traditional Chinese Medicine has contributed to the overall well-being and health of the Chinese people. Among the medicines and medical practices, some are well documented while others have only been carried on through oral teaching. Unfortunately, nowadays many hospitals, even institutes of Traditional Chinese Medicine, are abandoning these ancient medicinal methods due to financial concerns over its viability, leaving no more than 10 hospitals of the northern and southern Schools of TCM to carry on this tradition. The traditional medicine now faces the plight of being abandoned and even completely abolished. Effective measures should be taken as soon as possible to protect China’s traditional medicinal practices. Additionally, academic and policy research should be carried out to further develop traditional medicines.
Source: Confucius Institute Online
