「這會根治嗎？」🩺「根治」這個詞，我們真的理解它的意思嗎？

這是我在做疼痛治療時，最常被問到的問題。順著患者的期待告訴他「會根治！」業績可能會一飛沖天📈，但我更在乎的，是能和患者一起建立正確的共識與知識🤝。

我們得先釐清，患者口中的「根治」是什麼意思？是指未來再也不會復發？還是病因已經徹底解決了？🤔

有些疾病的確可以根治，但不是你想的那樣

感冒會「根治」嗎？🤧

就醫學事實而言，一般感冒當然能「根治」：這次感染的病毒或細菌被清除後，這次的感冒就算結束了✅。但「根治」這次，不代表未來不會再感冒；吃太辣引發胃發炎，只要服藥解除發炎、症狀消失，也可以說是「根治」了💊。但會不會未來又胃發炎、又胃痛？那也是有可能的。

所以，多數內科問題是能達到病因解除的，但還是有再次生病的可能。究竟能不能「根治」，其實不是最關鍵的問題❗

退化性問題不可逆

肌骨骼造成的疼痛💢，大多情況下，連「病因解除」都難以做到百分之百，更別說什麼「根治」了。像是肌腱退化撕裂、關節退化、肌肉撕裂、軟組織變性、神經受損……這些造成疼痛的「病因」，經過治療後，也不可能百分百恢復到年輕時的狀態🧓🏻➡️🧒🏻。

雖然不能根治，但治療依然意義重大

但你還是需要治療！🛠️

透過正確的治療方式，可以有效緩解疼痛、恢復正常生活✨。而那些結構上的變化，雖然無法完全逆轉，但在某些情況下，還是有機會修復個三成、五成📊，並延緩持續性的退化與損傷。

疼痛問題連病因都難以完全去除，自然也就存在未來復發的可能🔄。

但我們仍然要治療！💪

就像保養機車一樣：不可能不壞，但可以延長壽命

就像機車的引擎不可能永遠不壞🛵，但你還是得定期保養與維修🧰。

#張家誠中醫師

► 疼痛治療｜ #浮針｜ #針刀｜#乾針｜#減重｜#內婦科

Can Chronic Pain Be Cured?

An Honest Answer from a TCM Physician

“Doctor, can this be cured?”

This is one of the most common questions I hear in my clinic. It would be easy to say, “Yes, it can be cured!”—and that might boost business. But I believe in building trust through honest communication and shared understanding.

What does “cure” actually mean?

To some, it means symptoms will never return. To others, it means the underlying cause of the condition is completely resolved. For example, a common cold can be cured—once the virus is cleared, the illness ends.

Similarly, gastritis triggered by certain foods can be resolved with proper treatment. But that doesn’t mean it won’t come back again in the future.

In many internal medicine conditions, we can eliminate the cause of illness, yet the body may still become sick again. So whether something can be “completely cured” is often the wrong question to ask.

Now, let’s talk about chronic pain

In most musculoskeletal pain conditions, even eliminating the cause is often not fully possible.

Degeneration of tendons, cartilage breakdown, soft tissue injury, or nerve damage—these are structural issues that typically can’t be completely reversed. Even with effective treatment, the body may never return to its youthful state.

Why treat it, then?

Because treatment still matters.

Proper care can relieve pain, restore function, and slow down further degeneration. You may not recover 100%, but improving by 30% to 50% is realistic for many patients—depending on the condition.

Pain caused by irreversible changes can still recur. That’s a medical reality.

It’s like maintaining a scooter engine

No machine lasts forever. But with regular maintenance and timely repairs, it can run smoothly for a long time.

Your body deserves the same care.

So while a permanent “cure” may not be possible for every type of chronic pain, that doesn’t mean we should give up on treatment.

Pain relief, functional recovery, and slowing degeneration—that’s what good care aims to achieve.