Acupuncture Shown To Improve Bladder Function For Diabetics

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.

Can Acupuncture Help with Type 2 Diabetes? (Yes!)

According to the latest report from the CDC, more than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or pre-diabetes,

As of 2015, 30.3 million Americans (which is 9.4 percent of the population) have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Many are reliant on medication and other therapies to continue living healthy lives. But can acupuncture help?

In short, yes!

The latest report from HealthCMI reveals that acupuncture therapy can help with weight loss and to reduce blood sugar levels in adults who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This is wonderful news!

In China, researches from the Sanming County Hospital of Integrated Medicine led a clinical trial of obese patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

In short, it was determined that acupuncture treatment, “in addition to routine care is more effective in promoting healthy weight loss and improved blood chemistry than routine care monotherapy.” (Meaning, routine care alone.)

124 obese patients recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were assigned to receive either acupuncture plus routine care or routine care on it’s own..

Overall, the results of this study indicates that, “acupuncture not only increases weight loss in obese diabetes patients, but also stabilizes blood glucose and insulin levels.”

These new findings further support the notion that acupuncture is an effective, noninvasive treatment for diabetes when used in conjunction with other therapies as directed by your healthcare provider.

How Acupuncture Can Help Those With Diabetes

Approximately 1.5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes every year, with about 30 million people suffering from it across the country. Chances are we all know somebody directly or indirectly who is living with diabetes.

For those who are unaware, diabetes is a disease that causes the body to be unable to properly process food to be used as energy. The result of this inability is a buildup of sugar in the blood. These high glucose and low insulin levels can lead to a number of symptoms that affect daily life, like fatigue, frequent urination, frequent hunger and thirst, and weight loss.

There are medications available that diabetics can take to help ease the burden brought on by these symptoms, but there’s also a holistic, safe and effective way to treat many of the side effects too—acupuncture.

A study in Beijing found that consistent acupuncture lowers glucose levels, increases insulin levels, and improves glucose intolerance, which all combines to keep symptoms in check. In particular, “low intensity and low-frequency electroacupuncture could help in reducing insulin resistance and increasing insulin sensitivity,” says Medical News Today. And, in 2015, a study showed that acupuncture treatment combined with an anti-diabetic medication called metformin produced better results for patients than just taking the medication alone.

Of course, there is no cure for diabetes, and those who live with it will always have to consider the best diet and treatment options for their specific case. But acupuncture can play a role in making dealing with diabetes just a little bit easier.