Alternative Medicine and Diabetes

One of the most common uses for alternative medicine is in the management of chronic illness. Many of the alternative medical systems work hand in hand with conventional treatments for illnesses like cancer, heart disease, asthma, arthritis and diabetes. Most of the chronic conditions are considered incurable, and treatment is aimed at slowing the progress of the disease and alleviating symptoms.

Most official bodies of medicine that deal with chronic disease have adopted the attitude that providing information on alternative therapies is the best policy. Thus, you’ll find information about the use of alternative therapies, ongoing clinical trials and ways that treatments like massage, aromatherapy, herbal medicines and other complementary therapies can impact treatment or ease side effects and symptoms of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation on the American Diabetes Association web site as well as on government web sites that offer information on health.

Specific alternate health treatments that may be helpful in those diagnosed with diabetes include:

Nutrition Based
People with diabetes should eat a healthy, low-fat diet that emphasizes whole grains, fruit and vegetables, with no more than 20% of daily calories from protein. Lifestyle changes are also recommended for diabetics, and weight loss helps control blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, all of which are associated with diabetes.

Supplements
Research has shown that some supplements may be useful in controlling blood sugar levels in those with diabetes. These include chromium, magnesium, vanadium, fiber supplements, vitamin E, Vitamin B, selenium, zinc and biotin.

In addition, some supplements may be useful in controlling the development of high blood pressure and heart problems that often develop in people with diabetes. Those include CO Q10, omega 3 fatty acids and niacin. Alpha lipoic acid and gamma linolenic acid (found in evening primrose oil) may help reduce the development of diabetic neuropathy that causes damage to the nerve endings in the extremities in many diabetics.

Herbal Medicine
Herbs have been used in treating diabetes for centuries. Some of these have shown promising results in research. These include aloe vera, fenugreek seeds, American ginseng, green tea, ginger, garlic, onion, bilberry and Indian cluster beans.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture may be useful in helping to control pain and nerve damage in diabetics suffering from diabetic neuropathy, a related condition to diabetes. In one study, nearly 72% of patients treated with acupuncture reported a reduction of pain and better sleep.

Stress Management Therapies
Biofeedback, massage therapies, yoga and other treatments that help control stress may be helpful in managing diabetes, which often is exacerbated during stressful life times.

The usual cautions apply double to diabetics. Because many herbs and nutritional supplements affect the way the body digests sugar and uses insulin, it is vital that you doctor be aware of any supplements or herbal treatments that you try. It’s even possible that some may help lower blood sugar enough that he can reduce the amount of insulin that you take or adjust your schedule to accommodate your treatments.