Pointers at Glance
- Acupuncture has been used for many years to treat many ailments and illnesses.
- NIH mentioned that acupuncture is safe when performed by an experienced practitioner who uses sterile needles.
- Studies show that acupuncture may help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat various ailments and illnesses. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines acupuncture as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the body, often by inserting thin needles through the skin.
The NIH mentions that acupuncture is usually considered safe when performed by an experienced, well-trained practitioner who uses sterile needles. Hence, the NIH cautions that improperly performed acupuncture may lead to serious side effects.
The effectiveness of this ancient practice has been often researched, and there is evidence that acupuncture could offer significant health benefits.
The new research from Edith Cowan University in Australia found that acupuncture may help reduce or prevent the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The recently published meta-analysis in Holistic Nursing Practice displays that acupuncture therapy may contribute to improved glycemic control in people with prediabetes.
Researchers Analyzed Dozens of Studies
Researchers analyzed more than a dozen previous studies covering the effects of acupuncture in more than 3,000 people with prediabetes.
Their findings suggest that acupuncture therapy may significantly improve critical markers of prediabetes and reduce the incidence of this condition. They also found no adverse reactions to acupuncture among the studied subjects.
Prediabetes Is A Warning Sign
Over 37 million Americans were living with diabetes in 2019, with 8.5 million undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). People who develop prediabetes face an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Caroline Messer, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told health line that prediabetes, or impaired glucose tolerance, is a condition in which the blood sugar is high but is not high enough to be considered diabetes. She added that it is a warning sign that the body is starting to become resistant to insulin.
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