Can Acupuncture Help in Diabetes?

The term diabetes refers to the disorder, which is related to your metabolism. Under normal circumstances, your body breaks down the food you eat and utilizes its energy for growth purposes. The food that you eat is converted to glucose by your body which acts as a fuel and keeps your body going. After your body has digested the food, the glucose enters your bloodstream and is then used by the cells of your body, for growth and energy. However, for the glucose to be able to enter your blood, it requires a hormone known as insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and is released into your blood automatically.

However, diabetes can interfere with this ability of your body to produce the adequate amount of insulin. Because of this the glucose that is present in your body, cannot enter the bloodstream and is not utilized by the cells. This causes the levels of glucose in your body, to rise to an unhealthy extent. This is why people who suffer from diabetes are not allowed to have regular amounts of sugar. At the same time, they are also supposed to restrict their consumption of foods that are very high in simple carbs. Avoiding such foods can help regulate the levels of glucose in the blood.

Diabetes can be of three types. Diabetes type 1 occurs if your body does not produce any amount of insulin. Diabetes type 2 occurs if your body produces some amount of insulin but it is not enough, or if the insulin does not work the way it should. Gestational diabetes occurs only in pregnant women. It is a condition, where the glucose level in the blood goes high, only during pregnancy and returns to normal after that phase is complete. While gestational diabetes is a temporary condition, diabetes type 1 and 2 are lifelong or chronic. There is no treatment for diabetes type 1 and 2; however, there are several ways to control the condition, by regulating the amount of sugar in the blood. Diabetic are not only asked to take medication, but are also supposed to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Alternative medicine options like Yoga or Acupuncture for diabetes may also be used.

Acupuncture for diabetes is a part of Chinese medicine, which aims at improving diabetes, with the insertion of needle tips at specific points on the skin. Acupuncture for diabetes can help with Type 2 diabetes; however, acupuncture diabetes type 1 treatment options are limited because the body does not produce any insulin. Therefore people who suffer from type 1 diabetes need to control the condition by following a strict diet.

Although acupuncture is used widely and is considered generally safe, there could be certain acupuncture side effects like tenderness, mild bleeding or bruising, allergic reactions and nerve inflammation, if it is performed incorrectly.

Therefore, it is best to consult your doctor before choosing acupuncture for diabetes.