Diabetes
...herapy, and Diet and Nutritional Advice for Diabetic.) With such a high percentage of Americans developing this disease, all alternatives of treatment should be looked at to find one most appropriate for each patient. Medicine does not work for every person. There are also side effects from medicines that are different for individual patients. These are just two of many good reasons to look at alternative treatments and therapies. Medical schools do not specifically teach alternative treatments nor do hospitals specifically practice alternative treatments. In the following paragraphs we will discuss some of the alternative treatments and how it can control diabetes or the pain caused by diabetes. Alternative Diet A variety of alternative diets are offered for treating diabetes. Almost all of these interventions focus on freshly prepared vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Control studies show that this type of diet can control diabetes. (Alternatives for Diabetes) Herbs Rooted in folk medicine, many botanical anti-diabetic agents are used successfully for diabetes control. This includes the use of plants and plant products. In countries like Japan, China, and India remedies are composed of dried and powdered whole herbs or herb extracts to control diabetes. (Alternatives to Diabetes) Bioelectromagnetics (BEM) The effects of electromagnetic fields block glucose levels and nerve damage associated with diabetes. BEM is an emerging science that studies how living organisms interact with electromagnetic fields. These fields cause changes in the body’s natural fields to produce physical and behavioral changes. The BEM field would work with the pancreas to regulate insulin, thus controlling diabetes. (Alternative Treatment to Diabetes) Mind and Body Exercise (Biofeedback) These are techniques that use the mind’s capacity to affect the body. Mind and body medicine employs the interconnectedness of mind and body and the power of each to affect the other. Some examples of these are biofeedback, yoga, dance therapy, prayer, and mental healing. All of these have been proven in some form to be effective treatments in controlling diabetes for some patients. (Alternative Diabetes: Complementary and Alternative Therapies) Biofeedback is also known to be quite effective for stress. This differs from other techniques because it focuses on a particular stress rather than on relaxing the whole body. A therapist can help you learn to control the actions of your nervous system during and after times of stress. This therapy has also shown promise for ailments such as diabetes and incontinence that may not be stress related. For such conditions you might be taught to increase blood circulation to a specific part of your body or to control a very particular muscle group. Acupuncture Acupuncture is a procedure where the practitioner inserts needs into designated points on the skin. This releases the body’s natural painkillers. This therapy is very effective for the painful nerve damage caused by diabetes. It also has been effective in offering relief from chronic pain. (Alternative Therapies for Diabetes) At the University of California-Los Angeles School of medicines, doctors are preparing to use acupuncture as a means of alternative treatment. Enrollment in classes for alternative practices is becoming more widely accepted. Doctors are now teaching each other about alternative medical procedures. Dr. Vogel of the University of California-Los Angeles says “this is becoming so important to the medical society because patients are turning to alternative medicine with or without their doctors.” In a recent article of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) there are an estimated 83 million Americans paying out-of-pocket for alternative therapies and medicines. (Alternative therapies moving toward the Mainstream) Exercise Exercise affects the glucose levels in the body. Exercise uses up blood glucose and makes insulin work efficiently. Patients should start out with exercise and gradually increase each day. Exercise can improve long-term glycemic control, reducing the need for insulin or oral medication. (RN Nutrition and Exercise.) Gourdin Gourdin is an herbal medicine developed by Dr. Pushpa Kanna. Several people have tried this herbal therapy as treatment for diabetes. Using this herbal treatment will lower and control blood sugar. This is just one of the testimonials of the patients using this treatment: “I am really impressed how suddenly, after the second week, I started to finally stabilize with Gourdin. I am hopeful that after another month, I can completely get rid of Amaryl.” (Khanna Pushpa Gourdin) Doctors Perspective Dr. James Rosenzweig is the Senior physician at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Dr. Rosenzweig makes the following assessment about diabetes and alternative treatment. “Diabetes is a disease that really involves patient behaviors in a large extent, and really involves a lot of efforts on the part of both the physician and the patient to work together to improve behaviors such as diet, exercise, and a variety of other aspects that affect the lifes...