Acupuncture Treatment for Diabetes

Treating Diabetes With Acupuncture

A major health concern of the modern world is diabetes mellitus, and many patients are looking for natural and alternative methods to supplement their treatments.

Studies are beginning to come out demonstrating that one such alternative method, acupuncture, can have a positive effect in treating the most common form of diabetes.

The Different Types of Diabetes

There are distinct types of diabetes. Their causes are different in origin, and so naturally their courses and presentations are different. But all forms are characterized in the end by a higher than normal concentration of glucose in the blood stream.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune loss of the cells in the pancreas that create insulin, the main hormone in charge of regulating blood sugar. These patients’ symptoms are characterized by a rapid onset of weight loss with increased thirst and increased urination.

Today the condition is effectively treated by injecting insulin. Before this treatment option however, the prognosis of these patients was dire, as they would continue to lose weight despite all other efforts. They would finally succumb from starvation on a cellular level.

Interestingly, the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes closely match those of the classic Chinese medical disorder named Xiao Ke, commonly translated as “wasting and thirsting” disease. And while pre-modern Chinese physicians had needle protocols, herbal formulae, and dietary strategies to help mitigate this issue, in this day and age it makes more sense to treat the root cause of type 1 diabetes with insulin injections.

Gestational Diabetes

This form of diabetes refers to when a woman with no history of diabetes before pregnancy develops high blood sugar during gestation. This condition happens when the mother’s pancreas cannot regulate the demand caused by rapid hormone increases originating in the placenta. While patients usually return to normal glucose metabolism after pregnancy, there is then an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Type 2 Diabetes

This is the most common type of diabetes, increasing with the modern mass-consumption, mass production post-industrial-revolution society. To put it briefly, rather than there being an inability of the pancreas to make insulin, this condition is caused by “insulin resistance” – the body’s decreased responsiveness to insulin.

The exact mechanisms are still being studied, but it is clear that Type 2 diabetes stems mainly from an improper and/or excess consumption of food. Unlike the other two major forms, this condition comes on slowly with an intervenable pre-diabetic period, and can very effectively be treated with diet and lifestyle modifications.

It is in this prediabetes period that acupuncture therapy could be effective at warding off the development of full type 2 diabetes, according to new research out of Edith Cowan University in Australia.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Prediabetes

There are several ways the three cornerstones of Chinese medicine – acupuncture, herbalism, and mind-body exercises – can help diabetic patients, especially those in the pre-diabetic stage of the disease.

Acupuncture and Herbalism For Weight Loss

As mentioned earlier, a large component of treating this condition is diet modification and weight control. Acupuncture and herbalism have a track record of assisting with weight loss, and those strategies are certainly useful for the pre-diabetic patient.

Acupuncture and Herbalism For the Pancreas

There are needle treatments and herbal formulas used to tonify the spleen/stomach organ. The aim of this is increase pancreatic function. Studies are emerging that demonstrate the effectiveness of herbal interventions on factors such as fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and insulin sensitivity and resistance.

Acupuncture and Peripheral Neuropathy

The chronic effects of elevated blood glucose, whatever the origin, are varied. One of the more common issues is neuropathy, or injury to the nerve endings. This most commonly affects the fingers and toes of chronic diabetic patients, but can also cause motility issues in the gastrointestinal system and the bladder.

Acupuncture has shown to be useful in such neuropathic conditions. Several meta-analyses demonstrate the benefit of acupuncture on symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and neuropathies in general. Studies investigating gastroparesis and neurogenic bladder issues are currently underway.

Chinese Herbs and Diabetes Management

Known as “rou gui” in Chinese herbalism, cinnamon can assist in glycemic index control and regulating blood sugar in diabetic patients. Cinnamon also has the added benefit of imparting cardioprotective effects. One study investigated “huang qi”, or astragalus, for use in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy, or kidney damage. And another study showed positive effects of “dan shen”, also known as salvia root, on retinopathy, or damage to small blood vessels in the eyes.

Mind-body Exercises and Diabetes Management

A study published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine showed that regular qigong workouts lowered hemoglobin A1c (HgA1C) in prediabetes patients. HgA1C is the primary measure of glucose levels in the blood, and medical professionals use its levels to determine the degree to which blood sugar is under control.

Qigong, and other mind-body exercises part of Chinese medicine, are easy to learn. And these exercises use low-impact, high-intensity flexible workout regimens. People of almost any physical ability can take part in some form and enjoy the benefits well into old age. These forms of exercise are particularly useful in the case of diabetic patients with mobility issues.

How Can Yi Guan Help With Your Diabetes Management?

If you are interested in learning more about how classical Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and herbalism can assist your treatment of diabetes, contact us today.

Article Sources:

Acupuncture could help prevent diabetes, research shows, https://www.studyfinds.org/acupuncture-diabetes/

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