According to the CDC, around 1 million people in the United States are living with Parkinson’s Disease, and is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030. Only after Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease is the second most-common neurodegenerative disease. Being that Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system, acupuncture would be the obvious choice for treatment managing the symptoms associated with it since its main mechanism of action is to aid function of the central nervous system.
There has been a great deal of research done in recent years in acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease, and they have shown promising results. Additionally, there have been recommendations for the use of acupuncture to manage Parkinson’s Disease from large Parkinson’s associations such as the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. We will explore research studies from the last decade and their results of acupuncture treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.
Acupuncture Research for Parkinson’s Disease:
- Acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease: A Review of Clinical, animal, and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies, 2015:
- Since acupuncture is commonly utilized as an adjunct therapy to treat Parkinson’s Disease, the goal of this study was to review current research on acupuncture for Parkinson’s.
- Animal studies reviewed showed that acupuncture was neuroprotective and also neurorestorative resulting in increased motor performance in animal models of Parkinsonism.
- Other studies show that acupuncture treatment was beneficial in treating Parkinson’s Disease particularly in decreasing doses of medication that activate dopamine receptors as well as the side effects of those medication.
- This review concluded acupuncture to be a valuable and effective treatment for Parkinson’s Disease, but a well-designed clinical trial is needed to solidify its benefits.
- Since acupuncture is commonly utilized as an adjunct therapy to treat Parkinson’s Disease, the goal of this study was to review current research on acupuncture for Parkinson’s.
- Clinical Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Parkinson’s Disease, 2017:
- The medication Levodopa, which is used to treat Parkinson’s, was found to have long term complications and efficiency on PD patients. Due to this, many PD patients are seeking alternative treatment to aid in the management of their symptoms, acupuncture being the most common choice.
- The goal of this study was to analyze the effects of acupuncture on patients with PD. There were 7 databases were combed through including randomized control trials. Trials included were ones where acupuncture was compared to no treatment or standard treatment as well as acupuncture in conjunction with standard treatment vs. standard treatment alone for PD symptoms.
- There were 982 articles, 25 randomized controlled trials most of which were high quality studies and showed positive results. In this review, acupuncture was beneficial for Parkinson’s Disease in comparison to no treatment and standard treatment alone. Acupuncture combined with standard treatment was the most notable.
- This review concluded that acupuncture along with standard treatment would be the most effective for Parkinson’s patients.
- The medication Levodopa, which is used to treat Parkinson’s, was found to have long term complications and efficiency on PD patients. Due to this, many PD patients are seeking alternative treatment to aid in the management of their symptoms, acupuncture being the most common choice.
- A Study of the Effects of 8-Week Acupuncture Treatment on Patients with Parkinson’s Disease, 2018:
- The goal of this study was to determine if longer acupuncture treatment is effective in preventing brain degeneration in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
- Both behavioral and neural responses were evaluated in 10 patients with PD before and after 8 weeks of acupuncture. These patients were treated for “15 minutes with 120-Hz electroacupuncture at the right GB34 and Taechung (LR3), followed by manual acupuncture based on the individual symptoms of the patient.”
- Post acupuncture treatment, both the depression scores as well as the UPDRS (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale) statistically reduced compared to pre-treatment scores. These positive outcomes additionally remained stable 8 weeks after the completion of the acupuncture treatment.
- This study found significant positive effects from 8-week acupuncture treatment in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
- The goal of this study was to determine if longer acupuncture treatment is effective in preventing brain degeneration in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
- Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease: An Overview of Systematic Reviews, 2020:
- The goal of this review is to assess the quality and relevancy of the results of acupuncture treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.
- 8 databases were inspected, and the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2) was used to determine the efficiency and quality of the reviews. 11 systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included, and according to the results acupuncture proved to be “a clinically effective and safe treatment for PD.”
- The goal of this review is to assess the quality and relevancy of the results of acupuncture treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.
- Acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease: Efficacy Evaluation and Mechanisms in the Dopaminergic Neural Circuit, 2021:
- Previous clinical studies have demonstrated acupuncture to be effective for Parkinson’s Disease treatment especially when combined with anti-Parkinson’s Disease medications at a lower does causing less side effects.
- The findings of this study showed that if the patient is during the early stages of Parkinson’s, acupuncture has been found to potentially even be an option for replacement of medication. It was also found that acupuncture may “protect dopaminergic neurons from degeneration via antioxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic pathways, and modulating the neurotransmitter balance in the basal ganglia circuit.”
- This study concluded acupuncture to be a “novel and effective strategy” when treating Parkinson’s Disease especially for ceasing the degeneration of neurons in delaying progression of the disease.
- Previous clinical studies have demonstrated acupuncture to be effective for Parkinson’s Disease treatment especially when combined with anti-Parkinson’s Disease medications at a lower does causing less side effects.
- Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Anxiety Among Patients with Parkinson’s Disease, 2022:
- The goal of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the efficiency of acupuncture for those with Parkinson’s Disease experiencing anxiety.
- This study included 64 patients with Parkinson’s Disease as well as anxiety, and these patients had 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment along with an 8 week follow up. This included both real and sham acupuncture with clinical monitoring.
- It was found that real acupuncture considerably reduced anxiety 2 months post treatment where sham acupuncture did not.
- The goal of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the efficiency of acupuncture for those with Parkinson’s Disease experiencing anxiety.
- Electroacupuncture for Motor Dysfunction and Constipation in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease, 2023:
- This randomized controlled trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of electroacupuncture when combined with standard pharmacological medication for motor and non-motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease.
- 166 eligible patients were involved and were assigned at random to the electroacupuncture group and the control group. Both groups received standard pharmacological treatment, but the electroacupuncture group also received 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks of electroacupuncture.
- After 12 weeks, the Parkinson’s Disease rating scale in the electroacupuncture group was notably higher than the control group with benefits continuing into 16-24 weeks after. When looking at the 39 item Parkinson’s Disease Question, from start to finish the electroacupuncture group decreased by 10 points and the control group by only 2.5 points which is “statistically significant.”
- The findings in this study showed that when compared with conventional treatment alone, electroacupuncture along with medication results in significantly boosted motor function and increased bowel movements in patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
- This randomized controlled trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of electroacupuncture when combined with standard pharmacological medication for motor and non-motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease.
While there is much more research to be done in understanding the role acupuncture plays in the treatment of symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, studies have clearly shown positive outcomes in recent years. In fact, of late, acupuncture is largely recognized as a chief resolution for many patients suffering from Parkinson’s.
According to TCM, depending on the age of onset, Parkinson’s disease indicates mainly Liver and Kidney disharmony and Liver Wind, and many times overlaps with other conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, and coronary artery disease. Essentially, as acupuncture providers, we must nourish the Liver and Kidney yin to treat the root problem, and extinguish wind to eliminate manifestation and progression. Although, as usual, there are many potential patterns depending on the patient, acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease works, and is proven in both Eastern and Western medicine.