Acupuncture for Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body has a problem producing insulin or absorbing it into the cells. Diabetes can be a fatal disease, and often leads to disability and damage to organs, blood vessels, and nerves. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is the main symptom of the disease. The percentage of people suffering […]
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body has a problem producing insulin or absorbing it into the cells.
Diabetes can be a fatal disease, and often leads to disability and damage to organs, blood vessels, and nerves. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) is the main symptom of the disease.
The percentage of people suffering from diabetes is rising rapidly along with the rise in obesity.
Complications of diabetes include:
Blindness, heart disease, circulation problems, kidney disease, eye disease and impotence.
There are 3 types of diabetes
Type 2 – adult-onset diabetes. Accounts for 90% of diabetes cases. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body is
unable to use insulin properly or produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. This leads to unbalanced
blood sugar levels and symptoms including increased thirst and frequent urination, fatigue and hunger.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity and a diet high in sugar and fat.
90% of diabetics are overweight and are over the age of 40.
Medications and insulin injections, dietary changes, physical activity and reducing stress and tension are the main forms of treatment.
Type 1 – juvenile diabetes. In this type of diabetes, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are damaged by the body’s immune system and are unable to produce insulin. Therefore insulin injections are required, along with monitoring of eating times, injections and dosages.
Type 3 – gestational diabetes. This is usually a temporary condition affecting up to 5% of all pregnancies. Gestational diabetes
increases the risk of diabetes for both the child and the mother.
Diabetes and Chinese medicine
Chinese medicine identified excess blood sugar as a symptom of diabetes about one thousand three
hundred years ago. A Chinese medicine practitioner was able to diagnose diabetes using ants.
The doctor would leave a urine sample near an ant colony. If the ants were drawn to the urine, the doctor knew there was excess sugar in the blood.
The Chinese identified more than 20 acupuncture points that can help with symptoms and blood sugar control. Modern
Chinese medicine has combined Western scientific research with acupuncture and medicinal herbs, and thus shown that these treatments can be very effective.
Acupuncture for diabetes
Acupuncture is effective in controlling blood sugar levels, reducing appetite and thirst, improving blood flow and circulation, and maintaining healthy nerve function. There are several common acupuncture points that help control blood sugar levels.
Acupuncture is an excellent treatment to assist young people who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, by helping to control and regulate blood sugar levels.
Chinese acupuncture can help regulate cholesterol levels and thereby reduce the complications of diabetic heart and blood vessel disease.
Acupuncture treatments for diabetics are given over the long term in order to control the symptoms of diabetes. One to two treatments a week are recommended, depending on blood sugar levels and symptoms.
In order for the treatment to be even more effective and yield the best results, herbal remedies are also given
(each according to their diagnosis).
Medicinal herbs for diabetes
Chinese medicine has used herbal remedies to treat diabetes for thousands of years. Science is already researching many of the medicinal herbs used to treat diabetes found in the formulas (prescriptions) of Chinese
medicine. Studies have found that certain plants have effects on insulin. Many other Chinese medicinal
herbs have been used successfully for hundreds of years to treat and reduce the symptoms associated with diabetes.
Combining Chinese medicine with Western medicine
In China, acupuncture and medicinal herbs are used together with Western medications for diabetes, and are administered alongside insulin injections. The combination of Western medicine, Chinese acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments for diabetes is more effective
than each on its own.
In summary:
Chinese medicinal herbs and acupuncture treatments can help reduce medication dosages and reduce side effects, reduce stress, encourage healthier habits, and provide a general improvement in energy levels and their production.