Achieve Better Neurological Health With A Blend Of Western And Eastern Medicine
According to the World Health Organization, more than a billion people worldwide suffer from a neurological condition. These conditions fall under a massive umbrella – covering a variety of ailments from headaches to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Western medicine has shed much light on how to diagnose and treat the body’s neurological system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous tissue. However, some eastern medicine practices, including acupuncture, have demonstrated positive effects when incorporated into a patient’s treatment regimen. Positive effects include reduced pain, agitation, and mood imbalances arising from neurological problems.
Our practice believes that the best approach for our patients is to combine the best of western and eastern medicine practices. This is true for all of the patients we treat, including those suffering from neurological disorders.
Our Patients Get The Best Of Both Medical Philosophies When Addressing Their Neurological Health
Western and eastern medicine are derived from entirely different medical philosophies, and they complement each other well when handled by an experienced practitioner. Here’s how:
The advantages of western medicine
Western medicine’s comprehensive diagnostic approach makes it a valuable tool for identifying various conditions, including neurological issues. Western medicine’s sophisticated use of drug therapy means it can precisely target organ systems for treatment. With this approach, western medicine has improved quality of life for a huge variety of patients.
The advantages of eastern medicine
Eastern medicine does not compartmentalize the body into separate organs as such, preferring to consider the body as a system that must be kept in balance. Eastern medicine practitioners work to maintain homeostasis in patients, which preserves well-being and helps protect against future health problems.
How Can Acupuncture Help With Neurological Conditions
This complementary relationship between East and West extends to how neurological conditions might be addressed. A popular and effective treatment option for many patients is acupuncture, which has eastern medicine roots dating back thousands of years.
During acupuncture, sterilized needles are painlessly inserted into the skin and used to stimulate acupuncture points. These points tend to coincide with areas of elevated nerve activity, so acupuncture is used to stimulate the nervous system to an extent.
Once stimulated, the nervous system responds by releasing a flood of biochemicals into the brain and spinal cord, which can help the body balance and heal itself.
What Neurological Conditions Can Acupuncture Benefit From Acupuncture?
Mounting research shows that acupuncture is effective for a large variety of health conditions, many of them neurological in nature. Some of those neurological conditions include:
Headaches and migraines
Several studies have shown that acupuncture can reduce the intensity of acute migraines and serve as a safe prophylactic option for averting future migraines. This was confirmed in a review of 21 high quality studies involving more than 4,400 participants.
The positive effects of acupuncture have been seen in both migraines and headaches, including cluster and tension headaches.
Alzheimer’s disease
Multiple studies have also confirmed the effectiveness of acupuncture in Alzheimer’s disease. A meta-analysis of 30 studies and more than 2,000 patients found that acupuncture, as an adjunct to drug therapy, could improve general cognition in the short and medium term. The analysis also found that acupuncture, again as an adjunct, could improve a patient’s Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score over the medium term.
Parkinson’s disease
Acupuncture has also been evaluated for Parkinson’s disease. In a 2017 meta-analysis published in Medicine, 25 studies were reviewed and found that acupuncture has significantly positive results when used in Parkinson’s patients. Specifically, patient scores on UPDRS surveys improved with acupuncture use when it was incorporated into standard western drug therapy.
Dementia
Additional research is needed for dementia patients, but an analysis of 13 systemic reviews found that acupuncture could improve cognitive function and ADL scores up to 24 weeks after treatment. This analysis considered more than 9,000 patients.
Epilepsy
Multiple studies have shown that acupuncture could help patients suffering from epileptic seizures in a number of ways. Specifically, research demonstrates that acupuncture can reduce spike wave frequency, reduce seizure frequency, and reduce the length of seizures.
Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Strokes, whether ischemic or hemorrhagic, can be difficult to recover from. They can also produce significant impairments if the patient does not recover fully.
Acupuncture is a proven option for patients in the aftermath of a stroke, no matter its cause. Several studies back this conclusion up. For example, a 2017 study showed that acupuncture could accelerate early recovery by improving blood flow to the brain. A 2020 study found that acupuncture could reduce oxidative stress, which is caused when there’s an abundance of free radicals and not enough antioxidants to go around. Stroke recovery is associated with levels of oxidative stress, to an extent. A third study, published in 2021, found that acupuncture could help with dysphagia, or trouble swallowing.
These are just a few of the neurological conditions that acupuncture treatment is positively correlated with. Others include vertigo, dizziness, tremors, Tourette’s syndrome, muscular dystrophy and many more.
Our Practice Offers Both Western And Eastern Methods To Improve Your Neurological Health
Both western and eastern medical practices have their place in a treatment regimen, and patient outcomes are maximized when both are considered. That’s what our practice focuses on when developing treatment approaches for our patients. We believe if a treatment is safe and has the potential to help our patients with their neurological issues, it’s worth considering.
We’re among the few practices in Houston (and beyond) that can manage this approach. That’s because we’re board certified in family medicine and licensed to provide safe acupuncture services. With our extensive training in both disciplines, Houston Acupuncture can provide the best of western and eastern medical practices.