Clinical Diabetes journal says in the United States an estimated 34% of diabetes adults are using some type of alternative therapy.
Alternative medicine practitioners believe that natural treatment may support conventional diabetes treatment by stimulating intestinal organs responsible for the illness.
3 Types of CAM Treatment
What is CAM? Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to therapies other than conventional medicine. Complementary refers to therapies used in conjunction with conventional medicine that complements the treatment.
What is Alternative medicine? Alternative medicine refers to therapies used in place of conventional medicine.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a federal scientific agency categorizes CAM into three broad groups that include:
- Natural products – This include dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, probiotics, special diets, and functional foods.
- Manipulative practices - massage, chiropractic, osteopathy, and reflexology.
- Mind-body medicine - include yoga, meditation, hypnosis, Tai Qi, and qigong.
Reference: NCCAM Special Report.
In the United States, CAM is frequently used by adults, with 40% reporting its use in the past 12 months.
Reference: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies for Diabetes: A Clinical Review.
A United States national survey reported 57% of those with diabetes using CAM in the previous year.
Reference: American Journal of Public Health 2002; 92: 1648–1652.
According to a report from the Fraser Institute, 50% to 79% of Canadians had used at least 1 CAM sometime in their lives, based on surveys from 1997, 2006 and 2016.
Reference: Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Use and Public Attitudes 1997, 2006, and 2016.
An Australian study reported 25% of people with diabetes stated they had used CAM within the previous 5 years.
Reference: Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine 2015; 12: 95–99.
Most commonly used CAM in 2016 were massage (44%), chiropractic (42%), yoga (27%), relaxation techniques (25%), and acupuncture (22%).
4 Effective Diabetes Complementary Treatments
There is no CURE for diabetes; any such claim is a misleading one. However, it is possible to achieve a non-diabetic blood sugar range.
Here we have provided you a few diabetes natural treatments considered to be useful in diabetes treatment. The proper combination of these medicinal systems called complementary or integrative therapy may be more helpful.
Co-administration of conventional drug and herbal medicine may cause potential interactions that lead to adverse events. So get doctor’s consent before starting herbal treatment.
Diabetes Herbal - also called botanical medicine that utilizes plants parts such as seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers to lower blood sugar.
Herbal medicine has its origins in ancient cultures including those of the Egyptians, American Indians, and Chinese.
Herbal medicine contains phytochemical nutrients evoke responses in our body to balance, heal and restore health. Additionally, it nourishes pancreas, liver, kidney, eye, and hearts; organs responsible for the illness or under risk towards diabetes complications.
For more information visit diabetes herbal treatment, also visit Gymnema Sylvestre, Salacia Oblonga, Bitter Melon, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, Ginseng, and Aloe vera.
Yoga should be learned under the guidance of a qualified yoga professional. And you should not push yourselves beyond your physical capacity.
Diabetes Yoga - Yoga refers to be the traditional physical and mental disciplines with healing power originated in India some 5000 years ago.
Yoga poses can balance body, mind, and spirit. Yoga helps to regulate the nervous system, increase vagal tone, and the body’s ability to successfully respond to stress. The vagal tone starts at the base of the skull and travels throughout the body, touching the respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems.
Yoga supports diabetes treatment by activating glandular systems responsible for the illness. For more detailed information on yoga, visit diabetes yoga and easy diabetes yoga.
Acupressure is proved to be safe. But if you are interested in acupuncture then contact a qualified acupuncture expert, because improper acupuncture treatment might hurt you.
Diabetes Acupressure - According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, a block in the flow of chi (vital energy) results in disease. To release this blockage or to restore normal energy flow, specific acupressure points should be stimulated.
By putting firm pressure on the right acupressure points, you can better manage various diseases including diabetes. To learn more about acupoints for diabetes treatment, visit acupressure diabetes healing.
Reflexology is generally considered safe. Diabetes with neuropathy needs to massage with correct gentle pressure, otherwise weak blood vessels might get damaged.
Reflexology Diabetes - The body organs have reflex points on the foot and hands. By manipulating these points with gentle firm massage, you can stimulate the reflex organ to work to its full efficiency.
By massaging organs associated with diabetes to help manage blood sugar, additionally bring back wellness and prevent/heal diabetes complications. To learn more about reflex points for diabetes treatment, visit reflexology diabetes massage.
How can you implement diabetes natural treatment?
Always don’t give-up your conventional treatment while trying natural alternative medicine.
Stopping convention treatment (medicine or insulin) to try alternative medicine is a dangerous idea and it might lead to very high blood sugar or ketoacidosis. Also, you must consult your health care professional before trying any of these alternative medicines.
An alternative therapy effective for your friend or relative may be ineffective for you. Be careful, improper diabetes control can lead to life-threatening complications.
While you are on the conventional treatment, you can try alternative medicine to better manage your blood glucose level. But be cautious, you need to do more blood sugar tests to avoid hypoglycemia.
During the initial stages of natural diabetes treatment, you should be vigilant on your blood-glucose level, because it may drop to hypoglycemia.
If the glucose level drops consistently, then proportionally you can modify the dose of your oral medication or insulin.
Once you are satisfied with the combination of conventional and alternative medicine treatment. And if you want further improvement in your blood sugar, then you can add another alternative therapy.
For example, you can first add yoga along with your conventional treatment. Once you are satisfied with the result and after blood sugar stabilizes, you can add more natural treatment such as acupressure and reflexology until your blood sugar reaches your target range.
In the case of type 2 diabetes, you can add more natural treatments (herb, yoga, acupressure & then reflexology) until you reach the target BS number, then you can reduce medication dosage.
In the case of type 1 diabetes, you can add natural treatments until your blood sugar returns to normal non-diabetic blood sugar level and you can reduce the insulin dose, but should not risk yourself by totally stop taking insulin (it is impossible and dangerous). Type 1 diabetes should continue taking insulin to the rest of their life.
Natural medicine & Diabetes complications
BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine survey shows 64 % of diabetes alternative medicine users using it to manage their diabetes complications.
Alternative treatments not only help to manage diabetes; furthermore, it is useful for diabetes complications such as nerve damage, eye, kidney, heart diseases, and stroke. Also, it can lower cholesterol level, blood pressure, improve digestion, and detoxify your system. That is it improves your overall wellness – you feel healthy, energetic, and young.