Folk folk remedies: the oldest physical therapy-a world guide to common sense of traditional Chinese medicine

According to legend, in the ancient Yao and Shun era, people began to use dance to treat joint movement disorders. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, people gradually summed up the medical sports methods to prevent and treat diseases, such as "introduction" (that is, health-keeping gymnastics) and "breathing gymnastics".

1974 The guide map unearthed from No.3 Han Tomb in Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan Province is the earliest extant meticulous painting scroll of health-keeping movement, which was made at the end of 3rd century BC. The figure depicts the gymnastics movements of more than 40 men and women of different ages in color, with simple text descriptions. The number of men and women on the figure is roughly equal. The guide map is not only early, but also very rich in content. It makes the graphic data of various guidance and fitness exercises that have not been completely lost in ancient literature become the earliest, and provides valuable clues for studying the development and change of guidance. From this, we can see several aspects about medical sports:

Guide map 1

Guide figure 2

1. Breathing action: The breathing action depicted in Mawangdui's guide map is not exactly the same as the "placenta method" of ancient traditional acrobatics (Dantian breathing method). There are two direct references to breathing in the title. Such as "printing (back), waving (calling)" and "laughing (ape)". In ancient times, "ghost" meant to cry on one's back, and "cage soul" was the howl of an ape. The shape of the picture is to expand the chest and raise your hands backwards. Its action is to strengthen the exercise of cardiopulmonary function.

Second, body movements: except for several squats and squats (sitting) in the guide map, others are vertical movements. At present, the eight movements in the fifth set of broadcasting exercises in China basically summarize the essence of the map. For example, the upper limb movements are "Dragon Lantern", the boxing movements are "Horse Show", the chest expansion movements are "Yin Quenching" and the sideways movements are "Mantis". There are "all-political" abdominal back movements, "neck-leading" and "eight-dimensional sitting" jumping movements, as well as kicking movements and turning movements with missing pictures and texts.

In addition, birds, bears and apes in the Five Animals Play have similar pictures and texts, which shows that Hua Tuo's Five Animals Play and Mawangdui's guide map have certain historical origins. Third, the movement of the instrument: In addition to unarmed practice, the guide map also found that the stick movement was used, the body bent and turned, and the staff was held in both hands. The text says "Connect Yin and Yang with words (sticks)". There is also the twisting action with the ball under your feet, which is also the form of instrument action.

4. Relationship between guidance and treatment: In the text description of the guidance map, items such as "annoyance", "pain", "deafness" and "fever" are directly mentioned 12. It can be seen that guidance is not only closely related to the treatment of knee pain of limbs, abdomen of digestive system, eyes and ears of five senses, and even some infectious diseases.

The four aspects of medical sports reflected in Mawangdui's guide map are enough to show that China is the country that applied medical sports earlier in the world. European scholar Ma Tinglun admitted that the West had copied China's medical gymnastics from the Far East through Ai's introduction. Dr Joseph Needham, a British scientist, also believes that modern western medical gymnastics actually evolved from early gymnastics in China to Europe. Therefore, western scholars call China "the motherland of medical gymnastics".

Remind you: The world's oldest body therapy-guiding this folk remedy comes from the Internet. Please follow the doctor's advice before using it.