Diabetes is caused by the metabolism disorder of the sugar, fat and protein due to the relative or absolute lack of insulin. Its main feature is hyperglycemia and high glycosuria. Clinically, it is manifested as frequent urine, frequent drinking, frequent eating, fatigue, emaciation syndromes or even other serious syndromes like ketoacidosis. The disease belongs to "'Diabetes" in TCM. For the disease, deficiency is principal and the feverish secondary aspect of this disease. Based on the clinical symptoms, there is special emphasis on three sources of traditional diseases. Diabetes involving the upper-jiao pertains to the dryness of the lung; Diabetes involving the middle-jiao pertains to heat of the stomach; Diabetes involving the lower-jiao pertains to the deficiency of the kidney. The persistence of this disease may cause yin deficiency affecting yang. The syndromes of qi and yin deficiency, and deficiency of yin and yang can often be seen. The treatment should include heat clearing and lung nourishing, stomach fire clearing, and yin supplementing and kidney nourishing.

Treatment
1. Yishu
Extra point of treating diabetes based on experience, posterior to BL17 near the pancreas. Acupuncture 0.5-0.8 cun obliquely towards the spine and adopt the reinforcing method. Maintain the needle for 20-30 minutes every day or every other day, 10 times for one course of treatment.

2. Endocrine
Acupoint on the ear. Take one cun long needle piercing directly towards the ear cartilage and  twist lightly and rotate strongly. Maintain the needle for 20 minutes and apply it every other day, 10 times as a treatment.

3. Pishu (BL20)
Do point injection on BL20 of both sides with Danseng (Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza) injection, or a small dose of insulin injection 0.5-1 ml cones every other day, 10 times for one course of treatment.

Note
1. Acupuncture for NIDDM (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) can have a better therapeutic effect. Acupuncture can make the diabetic autonomic nervous tension of the patient drop to cause the body to produce self regulating action, stimulate the secretion function of the islet 13 cells, and increase the secretion of the insulin, and thereby to decrease the blood glucose.

2. Because the skin of the diabetic patients is easily suffered from purulent infection, so selecting the acupoints is required to control to a minimum and acupuncture should be under strict disinfection.

3. During the acupuncture treatment, reasonable recipe and intake amount for patient should be made. The patient is enjoined to abide by intensively. Patient is advised to eat more roughage and vegetables and restrain fat and cooked wheaten food. No smoking and no drinking. Maintain good spirit condition and abstinence, avoid overstrain, pay attention to keep warm and prevent influenza.