Do acupuncturists hold the secret cure for diabetes? Although there is no “cure” it is no secret that Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture can help those who have Diabetes Type I and Type II. Acupuncture can help reduce many symptoms of diabetes, help stabilize and lower blood sugar levels, and improve overall quality of life.
The Chinese medical approach to diabetes identifies its initial onset as due to a deficiency of yin in our bodies. Over time, yin deficiency causes an imbalance in yin and yang, resulting in a yang deficiency. In advanced diabetes, these yin and yang deficiencies result in impairment of Qi resulting in an imbalanced cyclical flow of Qi within the meridians and organ systems. Making sense? No? Well let me further explain…
This imbalance of cyclical Qi produces heat that depletes the body’s fluids causing symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- Unexplained Weight Loss or Weight Gain
- Excessive Thirst (Polydipsia)
- Excessive Urination (Polyuria)
- Excessive Eating (Polyphagia)
- Poor Wound Healing
- Infections
- Irritability
- Blurry Vision
Acupuncture points are chosen based on the diabetic’s medical history, and specific stage of diabetes advancement. Treatments and acupuncture points selected are highly differentiated from individual to individual so you get a treatment that is specifically tailored to how YOUR body is reacting and responding to diabetes.
Diabetes is often treated with a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas. These formulas are also selected and tailored to the individual. Diabetics exhibit similar symptoms and side effects from the disease and medications but from person to person it does vary and Chinese Medicine recognizes this distinction. For instance, one diabetic may feel very fatigued all the time, have a hard time falling asleep, their vision is declining and their experiencing neuropathy in the lower limbs; while another person may experience excessive thirst, excessive urination, irritability and hypertension. These two very different people may both have the label as a Type II diabetic and may both be on the same medication but according to Chinese medicine and theory these two people are actually quite different and would not have the same treatments. The way a disease manifests and affects a persons body varies from individual to individual, as an acupuncturist we will select point and herbs that match with what you are experiencing and you’re presenting symptoms. Unlike Western medicine, we won’t just give the same pill, disease label, or treatments regimens to everyone labeled with a specific illness, it is tailored to you.
Acupuncture treatment for diabetes is good for all diabetics but is most effective for those individuals who have had diabetes for only a few years, and have a milder disease manifestation. This is due to the fact that the condition is not as chronic, in acupuncture the more chronic the disease the harder it is to treat with acupuncture alone (that is where herbs come in!). Diabetics receiving acupuncture experience a decline in cholesterol levels and have fewer medical complications, such as cardiovascular diseases. Acupuncture has been effective in reducing blood sugar levels in diabetics, especially in individuals with type 2, non-insulin dependent diabetes. Acupuncturists have identified about 20 acupuncture points that are effective in lowering blood sugar.
Diabetic acupuncture treatment programs take into account, pharmaceuticals, insulin, and lifestyle habits. We can tailor a program that would be most beneficial to you! I suggest that those of you who are at all curious or interested in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture to give it a go!
To find a local acupuncturist who live near you, click the link below: https://acupuncturists.healthprofs.com
For more information and research on Acupuncture, TCM, and diabetes click the links below:
https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/diabetes/
https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/a-to-z-of-conditions/a-to-z-of-conditions/type-2-diabetes.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4038644/
Written by Megan Anderson
Jade & Jing 