Diabetes Treatment by Alternative Medicine

1. Acupuncture Treatment

Diabetes is characterized by polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria and emaciation. The glucose in urine is positive and blood sugar high. Diabetes should be distinguished from diabetes insipidus and nervous polyria. There are three types of diabetes in the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine treatment:

1-1. Diabetes Involving the Upper-Jiao

The patient has frequent thirst and drinks a lot. There is an excessive appetite with frequent urination. The test of urine glucose shows + + and blood sugar test indicates 153 mg %.

Treatment
Prescription: Xinshu, Weiwanxiashu, Yuji, Lianqnan which are the main points for diabetes. These points are punctured to clear the heart fire, nourish the lung Yin and stop thirst.

Needling Methods
Slantly needle Xinshu with the twisting and reducing method, and then needle Weiwanxiashu with the even-movement method and withdraw it after half a minute. Needle Lianquan with the even-movement method for half a minute and then pull the needle out. Yuji is punctured with the twisting and reducing method retained for 10 minutes. The treatment is given once a day or every other day, 10 times consist of a course of the treatment.

1-2. Diabetes Involving the Middle-Jiao

The diabetes is characterized by rather excessive appetite with easy hunger accompanied by polydipsia and polyuria. The glucose in urine shows ++, the pulse is slippery and rapid, the tongue dry with yellow coating.

Treatment
Prescription: Pishu, Hegu, Neiting combined with Weiwanxiashu. This combination of the points is to extinguish stomach fire, quench thirst and regulate spleen.

Needling Methods
First needle Weiwanxiashu, Pishu with the even-movement method for one minute and withdraw. Then both of Hegu, Neiting are needled with the twisting and reducing method, and retained for 20 minutes with intermittent moving. The treatment is given once a day or every other day. 10 times consist of a course of the treatment.

1-3. Diabetes Involving the Lower-Jao

This type of diabetes is indicated by treatment cloudy urination frequently accompanied by dizziness and poor vision. The patient drinks a lot and always feels hungry. The signs are low-back soreness and distention, the glucose in urine shows + + + and blood sugar 270 mg%. The pulse is thready and rapid, the tongue body is pale.

Treatment
Prescription: Shenshu, Taixi, Weiwanxiashu. This prescription is applied to dispel the heat from the liver and invigorate the kidney, nourish Yin and relieve thirst.

Needling Methods
First puncture Weiwanxiashu with the even-movement method for half a minute and retain the needle. Shenshu is needled with the twisting and reinforcing method for one minute and retain the needle. Taxi is needled with the same way. retained for 20 minutes with intermittent moving. The treatment is given once a day or every other day. 10 times consist of a course of the treatment. During the treatment the patient should be on a diet, taking more vegetables and coarse grains, avoiding greasy and sweet food, alcohol is prohibited.

2. Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine(TCM) Treatment

Etiology and pathogenesis in TCM theory

The causal factors of the illness are either inborn (hereditary) or acquired. The acquired factors include improper diet, particularly excessive intake of sweet food, emotional trauma, overstrain, and exogenous affections. Any of the factors may lead to the production of heat which consumes yin, so that dryness-heat impairs the functioning of the Lungs, Stomach and Kidneys, resulting in diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the major pathological changes are yin deficiency and dryness-heat.

Syndrome differentiation in TCM theory

• Dryness-heat in the Lungs: Dire thirst with strong desire for drinks, polyuria, increased intake of food, loss of body weight, reddened tongue with dry and yellow coating, and slippery, rapid pulse.
• Dryness-heat in the Stomach: Increased appetite and food intake, thirst, constipation; dry reddened tongue, and forceful pulse.
• Yin deficiency of the Lungs and Kidneys: Polyuria with increased appetite and emaciation, sometimes accompanied by dizziness and blurred vision, reddened tongue with little coating, and thready and rapid pulse.
• Deficiency of both yin and yang: Polyuria with turbid creamy urine, dark complexion, dryness of the mouth and throat, aching and weakness of the back and knees, aversion to cold, pale tongue with dry, white coating, and deep, thready and weak pulse.
• Qi deficiency with blood stasis: Thirst but no desire for drinks, numbness of limbs with abnormal sensation, lassitude, lack of strength, dark tongue with purple spots or congested sublingual veins, and deep and hesitant pulse.

Herbal medication

• Dryness-heat in the Lungs
  Principle of treatment: To purge heat from the Lungs and relieve dryness. Formula of choice: Baihu Jia Renshen Tang (White Tiger Decoction Plus Ginseng).
• Dryness-heat in the Stomach
  Principle of treatment: To purge heat from the Stomach and replenish fluid. Formula of choice: Yunii Jian (Gypsum Decoction)1 plus Rhizoma Coptidis (goldthread rhizome).
• Yin deficiency of the Lungs and Kidneys Principle of treatment: To nourish Kidney yin.
  Formula of choice: Liuwei Dihuang Wan (Pill of Six Ingredients with Rehmannia).
• Deficiency of both yin and yang
  Principle of treatment: To tonify both yin and yang.
  Formula of choice: Jingui Shenqi Wan (Kidney-Qi Pill of the Golden Chamber).
• Qi deficiency with blood stasis
  Principle of treatment: To replenish qi and remove blood stasis. Formula of choice: BuyangHuanwu Tang (Yang-reinforcing Decoction for Treating Hemiplegia).