Acupuncture & TCM Herbal Medicine for Parkinson's- Protecting the Nervous System

Parkinson's is the second most common neurological disease in Australia after dementia, and is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. Furthermore, Young Onset Parkinson's makes up 10-20% of all people living with Parkinson's, which are diagnosed in their 20's-50's. For Parkinson's patients, acupuncture and TCM herbal medicine treatment have shown remarkable potential in alleviating various motor and non-motor symptoms, such as tremors, stiffness, strength & mobility issues, sleep disorders and constipation.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive disease that affects the nervous system, and people affected may experience tremors, slow movements, stiff limbs and gait and posture imbalance. As these symptoms progress, walking, talking, swallowing and completing other simple tasks can become challenging. In addition to these motor-related symptoms, non-motor symptoms such as confusion/ memory loss, mood and behavioural problems, sleep disorders and constipation can also significantly impair quality of life. Sleep disorders and constipation typically precede the motor symptoms by several years.

Current available PD medications do offer valuable symptomatic relief, however, as PD progresses, their use is often associated with significant side effects. An example is Levodopa, which is used to maintain motor function, however, may cause involuntary muscle movements in the later years. Better diagnostic tools in the medical world are also required to identify PD in the earlier course of the disease. By the time a person presents symptoms and is diagnosed with PD, a significant widespread loss of brain cells and functions of the nervous system have already occurred.

Acupuncture has been practised for thousands of years, and is most commonly used as a complementary therapy in patients with PD today. Increasing evidence today shows that acupuncture can reduce and delay the symptoms of PD, as it may help with inhibiting the accumulation of toxic proteins in neurological diseases, regulate energy supply, and exerts a range of other neuroprotective effects . This therefore allows for a decrease in PD drugs dosage, which can then also reduce side-effects.

TCM herbal medicine has also been used to alleviate PD symptoms for many years. A combination of TCM herbs including astragalus, ginseng, magnolia, and chuanxiong rhizoma, are believed to exert their therapeutic effects through their antioxidant properties. A preclinical study found that the regulation of certain enzymes by these herbs were able to boost the release of dopamine, resulting in a neuroprotective effect.

Taking an integrative, holistic approach to treating Parkinson's by incorporating acupuncture and TCM herbal medicine, can deliver remarkable improvements in various motor and non-motor symptoms, delay its progression and reduce side effects of medications. As well as Parkinson's, acupuncture and herbal medicine can provide profound benefits for a wide range of other nervous system-related conditions.

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