How does acupuncture help diabetes?

Diabetes is now labeled as an epidemic in the United States, with nearly 29 million Americans suffering from the disease and another 86 million on the verge of becoming diabetic, as they deal with prediabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations due to neuropathy, and adult-onset blindness.

Diabetes is caused by dysfunction of the pancreas. There are two forms of diabetes, type 1 and type 2.  Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the most common and it affects the way the body processes blood sugar or glucose. While Type 2 diabetes is usually reversible through proper diet and exercise. The usual treatments include daily injections of insulin and blood sugar monitoring. But due to the standard American diet (SAD), many people in the U.S. are constantly struggling and unfortunately, losing the battle. This is where Acupuncture may be able to help combat diabetes.

What do the studies say?

A study published by the Healthcare Medicine Institute found acupuncture can effectively decrease symptoms of diabetes. This study actually looked at two clinical trials and determined both showed improvement for the participants. The first trial focused primarily on the usage of acupuncture, coupled with moxibustion. The second trial aimed to study diabetic gastroparesis and how it can be treated using acupuncture. Both trials concluded the overall symptoms of diabetes sufferers can be greatly decreased through the use of acupuncture.

Learn more about how we can help gastroparesis in our previous post, here.

There have been numerous studies showing acupuncture can help to lower blood sugar levels, decrease the symptoms of polyphagia (urge to eat constantly), polydipsia (excessive thirst) and polyuria (excessive urination), improve microcirculation and enhance blood flow to the peripheral areas of the body.

Acupuncture, one of the many modalities used in TCM, uses hair-thin, solid needles to trigger the body’s regulatory systems that then release chemicals that stimulate the secretion of hormones, reduce pain and inflammation and help the body restore homeostasis. The blood glucose lowering effects of acupuncture are due to the down-regulation of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that encourages the liver to create glucose, which is thought to be the reason that insulin sensitivity is increased.

If you or somebody you know suffers from diabetes, give our office a call today at (425) 686-4498 to schedule your initial consultation to learn more about how we can help.

Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in Bothell, WA at her practice Starting Point Acupuncture. She specializes in chronic and complex cases and commonly treats neuropathy, fibromyalgia, migraines, autoimmune, and infertility cases. Dr. Ellie Heintze is also the author of the book, A Starting Point Guide to Going Gluten-Free  and Keep Calm and Zen Out available on Amazon.

Sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388119300052