New research concludes that acupuncture dramatically improves the effects of a diabetes medication for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy. This condition includes signs and symptoms such as numbness, tingling, burning and/or electric sensations of the extremities. Patients receiving medications jumped from an approximately 8% neuropathy symptom score success rate to over a 90% effective rate when acupuncture was added to the treatment regime. The neuropathy disability score also showed significant improvement when acupuncture was added to the treatment regime. The medication only group had a 37.45% success rate. Acupuncture was added to the treatment regime and the neuropathy disability success rate jumped to over 90%.

Diabetes can be treated with acupuncture.
A neurological examination combined with nerve conduction studies was quantified using the Michigan Diabetic Neuropathy Score (MDNS). The medication only group received no improvements in diabetic neuropathy according to these measurements thereby yielding a 0% success rate. The group receiving both acupuncture and medication, however, had over a 95% effective rate.

The importance of acupuncture for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy increases as the obesity epidemic worsens in the USA. Approximately 30% of all US children are overweight and approximately one third of today’s youth will contract diabetes. In the US, over 26 million people have diabetes.

Type-2 diabetes results from insulin resistance and often combines with insulin deficiency.
It is a metabolic disorder that involves high blood glucose which results in many pathological changes within the body. Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes are type-2. Lifestyle and genetic factors contribute to the formation of type-2 diabetes. Stress, poor diet and lack of exercise contribute greatly to the development of type-2 diabetes. Some medications also precipitate this disease including glucocorticoids, beta blockers, statins, thiazides and several antipsychotic drugs.

The study examined patients with type-2 diabetes.
The medication used in the study was amitriptyline hydrochloride at a rate of 10mg/day combined with vitamin B12. The primary acupuncture points used in the study were: Quchi (LI 11), Weiwanxianshu (EX-B3),?Shenshu (BL 23), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zusanli (ST 36), Hegu (LI 4) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). The results demonstrated the effectiveness of a complimentary approach to medicine wherein pharmaceutical medication combined with acupuncture yields a synergistic, beneficial patient outcome.