Acupuncture for Alzheimer’s by Alexandra Johnson

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Dementia of any kind, and Alzheimer’s in particular, is a devastating disease, that takes an extraordinarily high emotional toll on the patient and even on his or her family members. It significantly increases a person’s chance of dying, costs large amounts of money, and at best can be slowed down or a little bit reversed but not actually cured – by traditional medicine at least.

Alternative medicines such as acupuncture are increasingly being researched in the treatment of Alzheimer Disease (AD). That research is encouraging, for those that are open to the idea. According to Acupuncture Today, a news source for acupuncture and oriental medicine, two separate studies have shown positive results in alleviating symptoms and noticeably improving lost cognitive function.

The results have also caught the attention of the Western medical establishment; a search on PubMed, a database for the National Center for Biotechnology Information and the National Institute of Health reveals a host of articles published in a variety of scholarly journals studying the viability of acupuncture to treat AD. Of particular interest to the Western mind is verifying what, if any, effect acupuncture is having on the brain, and various scanning methods have been used to this end, including PET, SPECT, EEG, and MRI technology. There have been some promising results here as well. For example, in 2012, several scientists described the brain’s response to acupuncture treatment at specific points, as documented by fMRI (functional MRI) scans, that would seem to indicate a positive effect on AD symptoms.

It is important to note that this area is advancing quickly. As recently as 2009, a systematic review of the studies done at that time showed little or no positive effect on activities of daily life, particularly when analyzing acupuncture alone, without Western medicine. There have been heterogeneous results when analyzing real (verum) vs. sham acupuncture, i.e., when different needles were used or non-acupuncture points were stimulated. But still, recent data are intriguing. The issue appears to be this: As of the writing of this article, in March 2013, current research confirms acupuncture’s stimulation of the brain in areas affected by AD, but we have not yet confirmed whether or not this makes a practical difference in the lives of AD patients.

So should acupuncture treatment be attempted for people with AD? As with any medical choice, this is very personal. Each individual should decide what his or her comfort level is and let family members or other caretakers know one’s position on the matter while one still can. Certainly, it is essential to find an honest, reliable practitioner. And it is not an either/or choice – acupuncture has often been used to supplement or support treatment through Western medicine. Additionally, even if an effect is purely psychosomatic, if that effect is positive, then why not? So much of the brain and its functioning remains to be understood… If one is comfortable with the idea of alternative medicine and has AD, or has a loved one with AD who is at ease with alternative medicine, then it seems worthy of investigation and perhaps even a trial period, to see if acupuncture has a positive impact on the specific person.

References

Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation: “What is the role of family and caregiver in Alzheimer’s treatment?” http://www.alzinfo.org/treatment-care/caregiving

Alzheimer’s Today: “Alzheimer’s Disease and Acupuncture – Treatment Appears to Improve Mood and Cognitive Function.” http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=27681

PubMed: “The Effect of Acupuncture in mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease: A Functional MRI Study.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3423412/