dialectics

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selves of modern knowledge of the nerves, muscles and
skeletal frame and adopted two traditional methods of
treatment: acupuncture, and Chinese traditional drugs.
At the same time, the patients kept up reasonable functional
exercise under doctors' supervision. Extended
clinical practice has revealed some new acupuncture
points. A traditional medicine with appropriate toxicant
ingredients has been developed and functional exercises
of the limbs have been worked out for the early stage.
These measures have virtually changed "incurable" into
curable.
Real Knowledge Comes from Practice
We started out using ordinary therapeutic acupuncture,
but got no appreciable results. This acupuncture method
obviously did not conform with the law of curing traumatic
paraplegia, and new methods must be found. At
that time the People's Liberation Army was getting good
results with strong needling for overcoming the aftereffects
of infantile paralysis, and their work greatly inspired
us. If we could find acupuncture points that would
transmit a very strong stimulus to the spinal nerves,
might that not facilitate motor function? We discussed
the possibility, and thought it would. Combining acupuncture
with modern knowledge concerning the nervous
system, we began to formulate a new medical treatment:
deep needling at the spinal nerve root.
In our search for new acupuncture points we made a
practice of needling on ourselves or on each other. A
comrade medical worker had the needle inserted at his
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