Managing diabetes often requires a multifaceted approach, including medication, diet, exercise, and sometimes alternative therapies. Among these, acupuncture and a healthy lifestyle can play significant roles in improving overall well-being and potentially aiding in diabetes management.
Acupuncture and Diabetes
Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine practice, involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate energy flow. Studies suggest that acupuncture may help improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and alleviate symptoms like neuropathy, which are common in diabetes.
- Blood Sugar Regulation: Some research indicates that acupuncture may influence blood glucose levels by enhancing the body's ability to use insulin.
- Pain Relief: Acupuncture can be effective in reducing pain and discomfort caused by diabetic neuropathy.
- Stress Reduction: Managing stress is crucial for diabetes care—as high stress levels can affect blood sugar. Acupuncture promotes relaxation and helps reduce stress. Our patients report leaving relaxed, clear-headed yet invigorated!
Healthy Lifestyle for Diabetes
A healthy lifestyle is foundational in managing diabetes effectively. Here are key components:
- Balanced Diet: Eating a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables (Try to buy from local sources, or grow your own!), lean proteins, and healthy fats helps maintain stable blood sugar levels. Limiting refined sugars and processed foods is essential.
- Regular Exercise: Physical activity enhances insulin sensitivity and aids in maintaining a healthy weight. A combination of aerobic and resistance exercises is particularly beneficial. You don’t need to be running marathons—even taking regular walks helps!
- Weight Management: Maintaining a healthy weight can improve blood sugar control and reduce the risk of complications.
- Adequate Sleep: Poor sleep can affect insulin sensitivity and appetite control. Establishing a regular sleep routine is important. Acupuncture can also help with that if you are struggling with sleep issues!
- Stress Management: Techniques such as meditation, yoga, (and of course, acupuncture) can help lower stress and improve overall health.
Integrating Both Approaches
Managing diabetes involves more than just monitoring blood sugar—it’s about supporting your overall well-being. At Raja Wellness, we offer acupuncture as a unique addition to traditional diabetes care. (Always consult with healthcare professionals before integrating new treatments into your regimen to ensure they complement your overall care plan). Our licensed practitioners can guide you in understanding how acupuncture, combined with other holistic approaches, may support your wellness journey. Book a consultation with us to explore how this gentle, natural therapy can complement your diabetes management plan!
Evil Bone Water (EBW) is one of our best sellers in the clinic for many very good reasons!
According to the classical name, Zheng Gu Shui, (Zhèng Gǔ Shuǐ; 正骨水) the formula is called “Mend the Bones Water”, highlighting its use for soothing pain and speeding the healing of fractured and bruised bones. But wait…
There’s more:
- Random bruise? Watch it fade faster and with less pain with a daily spritz or two of EBW; even those frustrating bruises on the hands and arms that plague our elderly patients.
- Nausea in early pregnancy? Many of our mothers-to-be swear by a spritz of EBW on the wrists (ala perfume) to soothe a queasy belly—even in severe cases. (This has also helped patients with post-chemo nausea)
- Speaking of pregnancy—post-partum aches, episiotomy sites, and post-epidural pain have all responded well to EBW—and it’s safe in all stages of pregnancy.
- Chest congestion? Move over store-bought “vapor rubs”! A liberal application of EBW to the chest helps open airways (we love to spritz some on our palms and inhale to clear stubborn nasal passages).
- Speaking of noses—Several patients credit a gentle application of EBW with a cotton swab below each nostril with helping to return their post-COVID sense of smell to normal.
- Ouch! Got a cut? If you don’t mind a brief sting, EBW disinfects and speeds the healing of minor cuts—and actually somewhat numbs the cut after application. This stuff makes paper cuts no big deal!
- Burned yourself on that hot stove? Take the sting out and help it heal with some EBW if you don’t have some of our Shiunko burn cream on hand. Note: If it’s a serious burn see your provider first!
- Arthritis? Apply liberally for best results.
- Muscle aches? EBW isn’t just for the bones; it soothes sore muscles as well.
- Sprain an ankle? Yup, you guessed it—lots of EBW.
- Headaches? Tension headaches fade faster with a spritz of EBW to the back of the neck, and temporal headaches can be soothed with a little rubbed into the temples in many cases.
- Neuropathy? Yes, that too—any kind of body pain is alleviated by EBW.
I have all of these!!! Can I bathe in it?
- Yes, actually—several of our patients and staff who have taken a tumble added 2 TBSP EBW to a warm tub along with Epsom salts and soaked away the soreness. Please note—test EBW on your skin first before jumping into this remedy. For focused pain, it does work best to apply it directly where the pain is.
Is it just for humans?
- It is safe for dogs, horses, and even chickens (but not recommended for our feline friends). I have used it on multiple horse wounds, a tendon strain, a partially detached chick beak (which reattached and healed quickly), as well as to quickly dry up the sebaceous cysts my dog is prone to—so they don’t fester and result in another vet trip to remove them. He much prefers this over soaking in the medicated shampoo the vet prescribed, and it works better and is easier for me! Once again, the highly aromatic herbs in EBW are not suitable for use on cats but you can use it around cats safely.
It sounds great! What’s the downside?
- Do not use it near your favorite white or light-colored fabric—it will most likely stain!
- Do not rub your eyes after applying to (or with) your hands—you will not go blind or damage your eyes, but you will probably cry a bit.
- If using in sensitive areas—use a cotton swab and always test a small area first. If the sensation is too intense, flush with lukewarm water. You can dilute it in water in a separate bottle to reach an acceptable level of sensation when using for episiotomy sites or similar injuries.
- If you have sensitive skin, patch test a small amount with a cotton swab on the arm and wait 24 hours to see how you react.
Ok, so it’s not quite 101 ways, but Evil Bone Water is a wonderfully useful topical to have in your first aid kit. I keep a bottle in every car, at the barn, in my husband's shop (he’s a mechanic) and the patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! Several buy it by the case to share with their friends and family! So on the “List of things I wouldn’t want to be on a deserted island without”, this one is definitely in the top 5!
Evil Bone Water is available for purchase in our clinic, and online here!
Have an Evil Bone Water success story? We’d love to hear about it!
