Electroacupuncture Can Help With Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injury involves damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves, causing permanent changes in strength, sensation and other body functions below the injury site. Each year, between 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury (SCI) around the world. Most are due to preventable causes such as motor vehicle accidents, falls or violence, according to the World Health Organization.

The incidence of spinal cord injuries continues to be on the rise. Studies have shown that electroacupuncture can help promote recovery after a spinal cord injury. One study in particular evaluated how electroacupuncture promotes neural repair in rats with spinal cord injury through the observation of changes within the Notch signaling pathway.

The rats were put into four groups, each of which was assigned an intervention period of one, seven, 14 or 28 days. There were also five randomized subgroups: blank control (B) group, blank electroacupuncture (BE) group, model control (M) group, sham operation (S) group, and an electroacupuncture group.

Rats in both the electroacupuncture group and the BE group were treated with electroacupuncture at Mingmen (GV4) and Dazhui (GV14) acupoints for approximately 20 minutes, after which the BBB (Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan) score was utilized to determine the neurological function of the animals.

The results showed that the BBB score was elevated in the electroacupuncture-treated groups. Researchers used eosin and hematoxylin staining to look at patho-logical changes in the spinal cord that was injured, concluding that electroacupuncture therapy may help repair injured spinal cord.

Western blot and Immunohistochemistry methods detected the expression of proteins Delta1, Hes5, Presenilin1, and Hes1 in the injured cord.

These results showed the expression levels of the above increased greatly after spinal cord injury yet decreased greatly after electroacupuncture treatment. Researchers suggest that a possible mechanism by which electroacupuncture can benefit in spinal cord injury recovery in rats involves inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway through the regulation of the downstream proteins expression.

What We Do

Here at Metro Detroit Acupuncture, we know that acupuncture is a medically proven therapy for treating many injuries such as spinal cord diseases, neuromuscular diseases, peripheral nervous system diseases and paralysis.

With most cases of acupuncture, patients often witness immediate improvements and relief to the body and mind, such as:

• Stabilized Blood Pressure
• Rapid Reduction in Pain
• Reduced Muscle Spasticity and Better Range of Motion
• Reduction in Pain Medication Dosages
• Stable And Lower Blood Sugar Levels
• Reduced Anxiety and Depression With Increased Energy
• Increased Immune Functions and Better Overall Health
• Improved Sleep, Elimination and Digestion
• Elimination of Chronic Infections Without Drugs

We can develop a comprehensive and effective acupuncture and holistic treatment plan for your needs, designed to address both acute and chronic conditions.

Contact Metro Detroit Acupuncture

To learn more about how acupuncture can help with spinal cord injuries by Detroit’s leading acupuncture and pain management clinic, contact us at (248) 432-2846.