Diabetes, which results in too much sugar in our blood, affects millions of people across the country and is one of the more well-covered diseases. But one of the more lesser-known side effects of diabetes is also it’s most frustrating, painful, life-changing, and difficult to treat.

One of the results of having too much sugar in the blood is a negative effect on our nerve fibers. Damaged nerve fibers can cause a number of problems in the body, including bladder issues. Damaged nerve fibers in the bladder can lead to either going too frequently or not feeling the urge to go often enough, the inability to fully void the bladder, leaking, loss of bladder control, and more.

Not only are these issues painful and difficult to deal with, they can great affect one’s quality of life.

While there are medications that can be taken that are designed to help restore the bladder’s functionality, research shows that the safest, most natural treatment for diabetes-driven bladder issues is acupuncture. Jiaozuo Hospital in Henan, China conducted a study which broke a group of patients into two groups, one who received acupuncture plus a B-12 vitamin supplement, and those who received only the supplement. The results clearly showed that acupuncture helped the patients: urinary frequency dipped, while urinary output rose. “Participants in the acupuncture group experienced significantly greater improvements across all measures of bladder function.,” the study concluded.

Among the acupuncture points that were administered to the patients were CV6, located on the abdomen and a key point for many digestive system and diseases of the intestines, as well as CV4, which affects chronic diseases and is a key area because it is a crossing point for the Liver, Kidney and Spleen channels.

Living with diabetes can be difficult, and adding bladder issues on top of it can be very frustrating. Anyone with bladder issues—diabetic or not—should consider acupuncture as a healthy, holistic treatment option.