How One Artist’s Brush With Acupuncture Made Painting Possible Again

Jenny Andrea | Aug 2, 2021 9:27 am | Add a comment | 123 reads

Juan Manuel Delgado, an artist and native of Costa Rica, swears by acupuncture and credits the therapy with allowing him to walk again, even after countless doctors were all but assured of his lifelong immobility.

Delgado’s love of art began early in life. Born in Costa Rica, his family moved to Canada when he was 3 years old. There, he studied with Peter Schwartzman, a renowned Russian artist and architect. Following in his mentor’s footsteps, Delgado pursued an architecture degree and later returned to Costa Rica where he continued practicing art, refining his skill under the tutelage of a master portrait artist.

A couple of months before coming to China, Delgado was diagnosed with a serious condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare type of arthritis that causes pain and stiffness in the spine. It’s a life-long condition that generally begins in the lower back and gradually makes its way towards the neck, often damaging joints in other parts of the body. Due to this condition, Delgado was told he would never be able to walk again and would have to rely on a wheelchair.

Unable to move, or so much as pick up a paintbrush, Delgado was in agony, and the thought of being wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life weighed heavily. Determined not to be defined by the disease, he began researching a well-known staple of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture. Incidentally, this wasn’t Delgado’s first foray into the treatment, having used it earlier in his life.

After deciding that acupuncture outweighed the side effects of all the medications prescribed by his doctors, Delgado sought out treatment in China where his father still lives and works as the ambassador for Costa Rica. Needless to say, his recovery wasn’t easy, however, Delgado is living proof that the power of the mind is greater than we think.