Study of Diabetes in the View of Oriental and Western Medicine

The need for more effective healthcare management processes has never been greater and some observers suggest that the nation faces a crisis in the years to come unless something is done today. Indeed, more than 40 percent of all Americans already use some type of complementary and alternative medicine and acupuncture remains one of the most highly sought-after modalities in this regard. Furthermore, combined therapeutic approaches are currently being used to good effect in many countries for the treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Diabetes represents a major national health problem and has been recognized as the third-leading cause of death in the United States today. People with diabetes are at an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and gangrene. Indeed, more than 14 million Americans currently have already been diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 2 million people have diabetes but have not been diagnosed. Furthermore, approximately one in 600 school-age children have diabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate in general terms what acupuncture is and how it works and to determine to what extent these techniques can be used to treat diabetes and the conditions that contribute to its incidence among all age groups in the United States today. To this end, a critical review of the literature and a meta-analysis of the published peer-reviewed studies on acupuncture and related treatments such as acupressure for diabetes was conducted, and the results summarized in the concluding chapter, together with salient findings and recommendations for practitioners and policymakers alike. In addition to diet, medication, acupuncture, herbs, and exercise play a key role in controlling this disease. Currently, there is no known cure for diabetes.