Needles against anemia: how acupuncture can help with iron deficiency

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Spannende Studie zeigt: Akupunktur an Punkten GB39, BL17 & LR13 kann bei Anämie helfen! #Gesundheit #Akupunktur
Exciting study shows: Acupuncture on points GB39, BL17 & LR13 can help with anemia! #Health #Akupuncture (Symbolbild/natur.wiki)

iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is an important health problem worldwide and especially in India. An innovative study has examined the effects of acupuncture on Ida by stimulating specific acupuncture points - GB39, BL17 and LR13 - with IDA. The women were divided into two groups: one group received real acupuncture at the points mentioned, while the other group received a sham acupuncture, in which needles were placed on points that are not considered acupuncture points. The treatment took place every day for 30 minutes for two weeks.

The results were remarkable: the women who received real acupuncture showed a significant increase in hemoglobin mirror, the middle corpuscular volum (MCV), the middle corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and the width of the distribution of red blood cells (RDW) - important indicators for improving iron deficiency anemia. In comparison, the control group, which received the bogus acupuncture, showed no significant changes in these values.

possible future prospects and effects

These results could fundamentally change the way Ida is treated. Traditionally, the treatment of Ida is based on iron -rich nutrition and taking iron supplements. However, the study indicates that acupuncture could represent an effective alternative or supplement, especially for patients who have difficulties with traditional therapy or are looking for additional treatment options.

In addition, acupuncture offers a non-invasive treatment option without the side effects typical of iron supplements such as gastrointestinal complaints.

Basic declarations of terms and relationships

  • hemoglobin: A protein in red blood cells that is responsible for the transport of oxygen in the body. Low hemoglobin levels are a main indicator of anemia.
  • Medium Corpuscular volume (MCV): A measure of the average size of the red blood cells and an important indicator for the type of anemia.
  • Medium Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH): A value that represents the average content of hemoglobin per red blood cell.
  • Red cell distribution width (RDW): A measure of the variation of the size of red blood cells. High values ​​can indicate anemia.
  • acupuncture points: Specific places on the body that were identified in traditional Chinese medicine and can lead to therapeutic effects during stimulation.
In summary, this study suggests that acupuncture could be an effective alternative or supplement to the traditional treatment of iron deficiency anemia, with positive effects on hemoglobin and other relevant blood values. Further research is necessary to confirm these preliminary results and to understand more precisely how and why acupuncture at Ida works.

significant improvement in anemia parameters through acupuncture

Research on the effects of acupuncture on iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in India provides significant knowledge of alternative treatment approaches. In this study, the influence of acupuncture on points GB39, BL17 and LR13 was examined on various blood parameters in women with IDA. Investigation variables were hemoglobin levels (HB), medium corpuscular volume (MCV), medium corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and the distribution width of the red blood cells (RDW).

  • study design: 100 women with IDA were randomized of the acupuncture group (AG) or the placebo control group (PCG).
  • Intervention: The AG received acupuncture on points GB39, BL17 and LR13 for 2 weeks. The PCG received a bogus acupuncture at non-acupuncture points.
  • Evaluation period: reviews took place before and after the intervention.

results

The analysis showed a statistically significant improvement in the HB values, MCH and RDW in the AG compared to the PCG, which indicates that acupuncture at specific points can be an effective method for treating Ida.

parameter Before Intervention AG according to Intervention AG Before intervention PCG after intervention PCG
hemoglobin (g/dl) 10.39 11.38 10.58 10.40
mch (fl) 25.69 27.50 27.43 27.23
rdw (fl) 15.12 16.41 14.91 14.94

The effect size analysis confirms the clinical significance of the results with a significant effect size of 0.785 for hemoglobin, 0.418 for MCH, and 0.626 for Rdw in the AG.

conclusion

The study offers convincing evidence that acupuncture at the points GB39, BL17 and LR13 achieves significant improvements in patients with IDA in terms of hemoglobin, MCH and RDW. This thus represents acupuncture a possible alternative or supplementary treatment option for Ida. This approach could be particularly advantageous in regions with limited access to traditional treatments or for patients who do not tolerate conventional therapies.

The full study is available here: https://pubmed.nlm.nih.gov/3815592