Acupuncture and Parkinson's Disease

By Aifei Wang, LAc, MAc

Over 60,000 Americans are diagnosed annually with Parkinson's Disease and at any given time, over 1.5 million are affected by this debilitating disease. Characterized by cramping, muscle rigidity of legs and trunk, shaking and trembling, staring or blank facial expression, postural instability, shuffling gait, memory loss and slowness in overall physical and mental activity, the specific root cause of Parkinson's Disease remains unknown.

Imbalances in the chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine, two neurotransmitters between the central nervous system and the muscles, may be a root cause; others have found a link to genetics and environmental factors, including heavy metal toxicity, exposure to well water, agricultural pesticides and herbicides. Men are affected more than women and, typically, Parkinson's affects people over age 60. What we do know for sure is that it is a chronic, progressive and devastating disease.

A 2011 study at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine on 20 patients with Stage I-III Parkinson's Disease who were taking medication for symptoms found that following acupuncture treatments, patients experienced significant improvements on sleep and rest. Moreover, 85% of patients reported subjective improvement on at least one of their individual symptoms including tremor, walking, handwriting, slowness, pain, sleep, depression, and anxiety. No adverse events were reported.

It is important to nourish and relax the brain cells, to get plenty of fresh air and exercise and to eat proper nutrition to nourish the body and brain cell function. Whole grains, rich in vitamin E, are very helpful for the brain and can improve brain cell function. Apples, pears, strawberries and cherries are traditional Chinese fruits believed to be good for the brain. Sufficient rest and relaxation of the brain is also believed to be crucial to healthy brain function.

A skilled acupuncturist can safely and effectively help alleviate symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease.