In February 2009, a middle school student in Wuhan woke up with sharp neck pain and found he could no longer tilt his head to the left. Despite the discomfort, he insisted on going to school. As the day wore on, the pain worsened — he could barely lift his head and had to support it with his hands.
Concerned, his grandfather took him to the local college of traditional Chinese medicine, where X-rays revealed a troubling diagnosis: the top two vertebrae in his neck were out of alignment — a condition referred to as a subluxation of the atlantoaxial joint. Doctors recommended hospitalization, warning that improper treatment could result in paralysis. The family was shaken. Some relatives called trusted doctors, while the student’s mother searched online and discovered cases where traction therapy had failed after dozens of attempts. Desperate, the family turned to a man known only by reputation: Dr. Hu Xinming.
A humble home, a hidden master
Dr. Hu Xinming lived in an unassuming alleyway, but stepping into his home revealed something extraordinary. The walls were lined with red banners and photographs — gifts of gratitude from patients he had treated. Though he never advertised or sought fame, his reputation had quietly spread.
Upon seeing the student, Dr. Hu Xinming immediately noticed something the X-rays had not shown. “Your child’s neck misalignment isn’t just from the atlantoaxial joint,” he told the boy’s mother. “There are deeper structural issues here.”
He asked the boy to lie down and began his treatment without delay. With a series of firm but careful motions — a push here, a lift there — Dr. Hu Xinming adjusted the spine with audible clicks. Within minutes, the boy could lift his head again, the pain already beginning to subside.
The next morning, they returned. Dr. Hu Xinming had the boy sit on a stool, gently turned his head, pulled once more, and declared: “Done!” Just like that, the neck was fully realigned. The boy went back to school the next day, healthy and energized, to the amazement of his classmates and teachers.
Known as ‘Ghost Hands’ for a reason
Dr. Hu Xinming’s technique is swift and precise, often likened to the movements of a martial arts master in a wuxia novel. In under five minutes, he can transform a patient’s expression from a grimace to one of relief.
One of his patients, Mr. Liu, a former steelworker, suffered a severe spinal injury that left him unable to stand or walk comfortably. After multiple surgeries failed, his muscles began to waste away. But under Dr. Hu Xinming’s care, the once-stiff spine regained flexibility, and cold, atrophied limbs grew warm and supple again. It was Mr. Liu’s second visit — and his recovery had already exceeded expectations.
Locals call Dr. Hu Xinming “Ghost Hands” (鬼手) for his seemingly supernatural ability to diagnose and treat by touch. But beyond his technique, it’s his compassion that leaves the deepest impression.
Healing without fanfare, for all who come
Dr. Hu Xinming treats everyone equally, regardless of their wealth, occupation, age, or social status, including wealthy business owners, unemployed workers, children, and the elderly. He accepts no advertising, has no clinic storefront, and never refers to himself as a doctor. Patients often arrive through word of mouth, typically from friends of friends. Though now retired from his previous profession, Dr. Hu Xinming’s healing practice continues like clockwork.
Many who visit him find it hard to leave. Laughter often fills his small treatment space as patients, once burdened by pain, linger in cheerful conversation.
The culture behind the medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine is not just a healing practice — it is a way of life. Dr. Hu Xinming embodies this philosophy. He is not only a skilled practitioner of hands-on bone setting, but also a quiet scholar of classical medical theory. From a martial arts family with generations of knowledge, he now brings relief to people from across China.
In a world driven by modern machinery and impersonal care, Dr. Hu Xinming’s work stands as a reminder of something rare: that healing can still be personal, intuitive, and deeply human.
Translated by Joseph Wu, edited by Maria
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