Acupuncture and diabetes. Can they go hand in hand?
There’s no doubt that Western medicine is crucial for diabetes. We need the insulin we inject in order to live.
But can other methods of treatment be beneficial for diabetes? I recently experienced an Acupuncture treatment at Saffron and Sage where we discussed how this form of Traditional Chinese Medicine can be beneficial to diabetes management.
What is Acupuncture?
“Acupuncture is a holistic health technique that stems from Traditional Chinese Medicine practices (TCM). In acupuncture, trained practitioners stimulate specific points on the body by inserting thin needles into the skin. Acupuncture is used to promote and restore the balance of energy, which flows throughout the body, to aid in overall wellbeing.”
Chinese Medicine (TCM) has its own theory for disease mechanism, diagnostic techniques, and therapeutic principles. Generally speaking, diseases are considered as interaction between both internal and external causes and result in disturbance of Qi and blood, Zang-Fu, and imbalance between Yin and Yang.
The diagnostic system in TCM is 4 examinations: inspection, listening/smelling, inquiry, and palpation. Tongue inspection and pulse palpation are 2 unique diagnostic techniques of TCM compared with Western medicine.
The discussion of treatment is based on syndrome differentiation. Syndrome differentiation is an approach to make a comprehensive analysis of the data collected from the 4 examinations and decide the diagnosis based on TCM theory. The major differentiating methods are developed as follows: 8 guiding principles syndrome differentiation, disease-cause syndrome differentiation, syndrome differentiation of qi, blood and body fluids, Zang-Fu organ syndrome differentiation, 6-channel syndrome differentiation, defense-qi-nutrient-blood syndrome differentiation, and triple-burner syndrome differentiation.
The therapeutic philosophy and goals of TCM are focused on the overall functional state of the patient, which can differ from those in Western medicine. Acupuncture and moxibustion, Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese dietary therapy, Chinese exercise therapy, and manual therapy are the 5 major branches of TCM treatment methods.
TCM usually concentrates on holistic treatment of the patient instead of focusing on treating a single disease.
Benefits of Acupuncture
The benefits of acupuncture can extend to a wide variety of conditions:
- Headaches
- Emotional Disorders
- Digestive Complaints
- Pain Syndromes
- Neurological Problems
- Gynecological Disorders & Infertility
- Fatigue & Addiction
Someone living with diabetes can benefit from acupuncture because many of these conditions can go hand in hand with diabetes. For me, I have emotional symptoms (anxiety), digestive issues, and fatigue.
What to Expect from an Acupuncture Session
I had an in depth conversation with the practitioner, Vanessa, before we started. I talked to her about some of my struggles and complications with my diabetes, along with my anxiety, stress, and struggles to sleep. All of which are related.
Based on our conversation, and examination of my pulse and tongue, my TCM diagnosis is a mix of Stomach and Heart heat with Yin deficiency. This is common for people living with diabetes.
Excess internal heat can cause agitation and exacerbate anxiety, panic, insomnia, vivid dreaming, excessive hunger, and other symptoms. I have anxiety in general, but have also always had anxiety around my diabetes, and low blood sugars feel like panic attacks to me.
My Acupuncture Treatment
The goal of my Acupuncture treatment was to reduce the heat from those organs, nourish Yin, and calm my mind mind. Stress and anxiety can cause higher blood sugars, so handling those aspects of my health can intrinsically help with insulin sensitivity and better overall blood sugars. The points needled in my session aimed to meet these goals.
The needle in my third eye (forehead) and ears activated my parasympathetic nervous system and help to promote relaxation. According to Science daily, the parasympathetic nervous system is one of three divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Sometimes called the rest and digest system, the parasympathetic system conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.”
The needles on my feet and arms were used to help clear heat, and on my ankles and legs tonify yin. Some of the other needles used locally to remove stagnation and relieve discomfort such as the ones on my jaw. I’d been grinding my teeth at night due to stress, and my jaw and teeth were feeling pain.
Acupuncture and Diabetes
I immediately left my session feeling peaceful. My mind was at ease and felt clear. Vanessa also left me with some tips for handling my stress better, and work she thinks would be beneficial going forward. I’ve used the breathing technique she provided and it’s helped me fall back asleep when I wake up in the middle of the night.
And my diabetes? Well, stress management is an integral part of diabetes care. Personally, stress causes my blood sugars to rise (likely due to the increase in cortisol). Once they are high, the cortisol also causes insulin resistance. It then takes more insulin to bring my blood sugars down. The acupuncture treatment helped me feel relaxed, which helped me sleep better the next few days, and in turn helped my blood sugars to also be more stable.
Acupuncture in San Diego
I am pretty lucky to live in San Diego where healthy living is a common way of life. Holistic healthcare is not hard to come by in this healthy city, but finding the right place can be hard with so many options. Saffron and Sage offers an array of holistic health treatments for the mind and body. Acupuncture, when added with their other services, can offer a well rounded experience of natural health. The practitioners take the time to get to know you and find the right treatment plan based on your needs.
