If you are looking to explore the possibility of acupuncture help with celiac disease, there are a few facts to consider about celiac treatment and the realm of acupuncture. For many people, acupuncture is an invaluable aid in abetting certain symptoms, and if your expectations are properly directed, such treatment can work well alongside a gluten-free protocol.
Regarding the Treatment of Celiac Disease
Before an individual explores the many fields of alternative medicine that can supplement celiac disease treatment, it is important to first understand certain aspects of a condition like celiac disease. At this time, gluten intolerance is considered incurable by the medical community. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder and its exact causes remain unknown. The disease does possess a genetic component which can be triggered by certain environmental factors, but the reversal of this condition has not been made possible by either conventional or alternative medical means.
This doesn't mean celiac disease is the coffin lid on a patient's life. In fact, gluten intolerance is treatable. However, currently the only treatment recommended across the board is a gluten-free diet. On such a diet, many celiacs experience a reversal of their symptoms, and the body often heals itself. This does not mean the disease is reversed. Once genetic gluten-intolerance has been triggered, an individual must maintain a gluten-free diet for the remainder of his life. Reintroducing gluten into the diet will result in the onset of symptoms.
Reasonable Expectations
Acupuncture is a valuable treatment with well-documented benefits for conditions like migraines, stress, certain neurological conditions, and a variety of illnesses. This alternative treatment helps the brain release endorphins, so acupuncture is a popular therapy for individuals who suffer from chronic pain. There have been cases of people who experience powerful amounts of healing with this therapy; however, regardless of certain glowing testimonials, acupuncture should be seen as a supplemental treatment for chronic illnesses.
So far, acupuncture has not yet been able to heal a celiac of his condition. Therefore, acupuncture should not be undertaken as a cure for celiac disease. However, many celiacs suffer from extreme disabilities because their condition was diagnosed well after its onset. The longer a celiac goes undiagnosed and untreated, the more damage any ingested gluten does to his system. Hence, there will be celiac patients who do not respond dramatically to a gluten-free diet. Their diet may save them from further damage, but some bodies have been too drastically attacked after years of gluten consumption. Such persons can greatly benefit from supplemental therapies such as acupuncture, if only for pain-lessening benefits.
Acupuncture Help with Celiac Disease
Symptoms such as chronic digestive weakness may be mitigated through acupuncture. Many celiacs experience a severe deterioration of the intestinal villi which can lead to not only poor digestion, but also to a plethora of food sensitivities. Acupuncture may be able to speed up the body's healing process, and so individuals looking to explore the possibility of acupuncture help with celiac disease should utilize this treatment for specific symptoms.
The idea that a gluten-free diet will bring on immediate relief to a celiac sufferer does not represent the vast majority of cases. In most cases, the body needs to heal and this can take an extended period of time. Once gluten has been removed from the diet, vitamin and herb therapies, acupuncture, and many other alternative forms of medicine may be useful in facilitating the healing process. These supplemental treatments would yield little good while the patient is still consuming gluten, as any positive effects would soon be overwhelmed by the continuous damage of gluten-containing foods.
However, as soon as the gluten is removed from the diet, a patient should begin looking for any treatment or helpful food that can speed the rebuilding of his body. Acupuncture, at the very least, may aid the patient as a relaxation technique, since it is difficult for a body to heal under emotional stress. On the whole, it is advisable for celiacs to explore the world of acupuncture since, in most cases, even if the treatment is ineffective, it is rarely deleterious.
