We often use acupuncture for Parkinson’s disease in our clinic. We find Parkinson’s patients not only benefit from acupuncture, but from dietary therapy, targeted nutritional supplements and even Chinese herbal medicine. We recommend mind-body practices for all our patients and will help patients find the mind-body practice that works best for them, as an individual. Our patients report a reduction of Parkinson’s symptoms like imbalance, gait and walking problems, as well as tremor. But other common symptoms that affect quality of life also improve, such as insomnia, weight loss, depression and anxiety, and digestive complaints.
New research is also demonstrating that acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease is effective. Researchers from the surgery and neurology departments of the University of Arizona discovered acupuncture improves gait and balance disorders in Parkinson’s patients. They measure improvements in overall balance, gait speed and stride length. The results were published in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Balance improved by 31%; gait speed by 10% and stride length by 5%. There was no improvement in the control group.
In other research, Scientists at the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine discovered how acupuncture protects the parts of the brain damaged by Parkinson’s Disease and helps improve dopamine levels. Acupuncture inhibits decreases of tyrosine hydroxylase in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.. Depletion of these neurons leads to Parkinson’s disease and acupuncture stimulation of acupoints GB34 and LV3 prevents depletion by sustaining tyrosine hydroxylase levels.
There is mounting evidence that oxidative stress plays a role in the progression of Parkinson’s Disease. In another study, electro-acupuncture protected a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, where dopamine dysregulation causes Parkinson’s Disease. Acupuncture had a protective effect through anxtioxidant and antipoptosis effects.
In addition, there are other studies that show that acupuncture helps patients with common Parkinson symptoms such as pain, mood disorder and insomnia and digestive issues. We do a comprehensive treatment plan with all our patients. Our experience is that when you combine acupuncture with dietary therapy, targeted supplements and mind-body medicine, people see exponentially better results.
We love working with Parkinsons’ patients. Please call us at 240-780-9130 and schedule a free consult.