Acupuncture for Type 2 Diabetes

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Posted on 07/05/2021 in Current Affairs

In the Netherlands, one million people have type 2 diabetes. This is one form of diabetes. If you have type 2 diabetes, your body produces too little insulin or responds less effectively to it. As a result, there is too much sugar in your blood. Initially, your body produces extra insulin, but over time, this decreases. In addition to elevated blood sugar levels, your cholesterol and blood pressure are often too high. This can lead to many complications.

Treatment of Diabetes 2
The treatment of diabetes type 2 consists of a combination of healthy eating, regular exercise, and often medications for your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Sometimes you may also need to inject insulin yourself.

Significant Cost Savings through Lifestyle Adjustments
Annually, the government can save 2 billion euros on diabetes care, according to a group of professors, doctors, and (nutrition) experts in an opinion piece in NRC in 2019. They wrote that nearly 40 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes can manage without medication after making adjustments to their lifestyle. This involves changes in diet, exercise, sleep, and relaxation.

Prevention is better than cure
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognized the importance of a healthy lifestyle early on. It understood that by doing so, you could reduce the risk of diseases and improve your quality of life. In ancient China, it was even common for the doctor to be paid for consultations as long as the villagers remained healthy. TCM is not only focused on healing but also on prevention.

Acupuncture Slows Down Type 2 Diabetes
Acupuncture can significantly slow down the progression of type 2 diabetes. In some cases, it can even help you become medication-free! Of course, this will be done in close consultation with your general practitioner, internist, and diabetes nurse.

Especially in the early stages of diabetes 2, acupuncture is effective. Treating specific acupuncture points can improve your metabolism and reduce symptoms such as fatigue and low mood. With dietary advice, lifestyle advice, and movement exercises (qi gong), an acupuncturist can slow down the development of diabetes 2. Research shows that a treatment lasting more than three months is effective.

Want to know more?
Check out 'find an acupuncturist' at the top of the page for a well-trained NVA acupuncturist.