Acupuncturist Questions Acupuncture

Should I consider acupuncture for anemia?

I looked up some alternative treatments for anemia that can help boost my iron, and I found something on acupuncture. Should I consider acupuncture for my anemia? What does acupuncture do for it?

21 Answers

Yes
Yes acupuncture and herbs can help you for anemia. It would take you between 6 months to a year you better try!
Yes, you can try acupuncture for your anemia. Acupuncture is not aimed for boosting your iron, but to improve your metabolism, improve your digestion and absorption, as a result to treat your anemia. Also very important:

1. Chinese herbal supplements are very successful for this, so finding a good doctor who has a good background with Chinese herbs is another important choice.
2. improving your diet is very necessary, too.
Acupuncture allows your body to function as optimally as possible, however, if you aren't giving your body adequate nutrition or if there is a bleeding issue that is undiscovered, acupuncture cannot remedy this. The cause of the anemia is the first line of defense.
This problem is not one that can be resolved by acupuncture. Food and other supplements can render more help than acupuncture.
I think it's great that you are open minded enough to consider alternatives!! Yes, acupuncture does many things; building up and fortifying the blood, stabilize hormone levels (which may be partly to blame if you have heavy periods), generally balance anything that is out of balance. Of course, eating iron rich foods like spinach, lentils, tofu, broccoli to name a few, are the best way to get your iron. But if there is something inherently wrong with your iron stores, if your body is not assimilating them correctly, you may not be getting the nutrition that you think you are. I would start by asking your doctor to give you regular blood tests while eating plenty of iron-containing foods to see if your body is absorbing them. If you are a heavy bleeder (assuming you are a female!!!!) then you may need to consult your GYN. Good luck and be well!!!
Yes, I would definitely consider acupuncture for anemia. Several conclusive Studies have shown that acupuncture is beneficial for anemia. It has been concluded that acupuncture upregulates serum ferratin which is an intracellular protein that stores, releases and transports blood iron. TIBC is a lab test that measures the body’s ability to bind iron with transferrin, iron-binding blood plasma glycoproteins. TIBC is high in patients with iron deficiency anemia. Acupuncture serves to regulate these two levels so that they are working properly and hence resolves anemia.
Yes, acupuncture can help with anemia by strengthening the organ systems that create and store blood. If your acupuncturist uses Chinese herbs, he or she may also choose to add a formula with blood-building herbs. Instead of focusing just on iron, acupuncturists focus on increasing blood as a whole and know protocols to encourage more production of it.
There are many different types of anemia resulting from different causes. With iron-deficiency anemia, there are acupoints that have been used historically to address iron-deficiency type anemia.

A new study supports this belief as study results show that acupuncture can upregulate serum ferritin and decrease total iron binding capacity, which is high in patients with iron deficiency anemia.
Yes, acupuncture can help for your anemia. For better results, you should combine acupuncture with herbs.
Acupuncture works great for anemia. If combined with herbs, it can increase hemoglobin levels in the blood.
Yes it can help. Acupuncture offers many angles of help in this regard. It increases the absorption and circulation of bio nutrients in the body, as well as removes toxins and obstructions that are inhibiting proper circulation and uptake, such as phlegm. From another standpoint, eastern medicine can boost blood quality through indicated protocols, and blood quality points direct to blood nutrient value, which includes iron.
Acupuncture is known to improve blood circulation, but what is not as well known, is that acupuncture can also help to create more blood in the body. There are specific acupoints in the body that boost production of blood and energy.
Acupuncture will help a little. However, there is a Chinese herbal medicine working much better for anemia. You need to see a Chinese herbal practitioner for an eval first.

I have a nurse-patient who had to have blood infusion because of severe anemia and failed to respond to any Rx or supplement for years. After taking the herbal medicine, her lab numbers became normal. Although she stopped it, the numbers are still within normal ranges. Find a Chinese medicine doctor for your condition in your area.
Acupuncture works by balancing all your body's systems. It may well help you absorb more iron, but you may also need to use dietary changes, as well. Call around to the acupuncturists in your area and ask them if they can treat it with acupuncture and/or herbs. Everyone has their own specialties.
Yes it can help but for anemia we also need to recommend nutrition and herbal therapies
I'm sure you are aware that anemia comes from a deficiency of Iron in the blood. Acupuncture treatments can help your body's digestive system work better so that the absorption rates for all of your nutrients increases. There will, of course, be a dietary aspect to your treatment and maybe an herbal formula used. There could be suggestions of taking iron supplements until your levels are regulated, but you are probably on that already.

Acupuncture treatments also can treat what we call the Chong Mai, which is very helpful for tonifying the body's blood levels. Go find a licensed practitioner (L.Ac.) and they should be able to help you in a variety of ways.
Yes, acupuncture and herbs, both can tonify blood and regulate circulation
Absolutely. In acupuncture, anemia is what we call blood deficiency and we treat that using moxibustion. Moxa is an herb that we burn on the skin. We understand that the moxa has it's own blood and burning it moves the blood from the moxa, into the body. Acupuncturists who practice herbal medicine will also provide you with herbs that will help to build blood.
Acupuncture can enhance blood iron, it can stimulate hematopoietic function, and help you get rid of anemia.
Anemia can have a couple different causes. Sometimes it's insufficient iron in the diet and sometimes it's insufficient B12. Vitamin B12 helps the digestive tract absorb iron in the first place. If your B12 levels are low, then you're not absorbing enough iron and you won't be able to produce sufficient hemoglobin/red blood cells. If your iron intake is low, again, you won't have enough raw material to product hemoglobin/red blood cells.

Anemia tends to fall in to a syndrome in Chinese medicine that we refer to as "blood deficiency". This is more of a catch all for a variety of blood issues including low blood volume. There are lots of acupuncture points which can address the problem, although exactly how some of these points function is still in question. Having a solid Chinese differential diagnosis as to why you're experiencing anemia (blood deficiency) is going to be critical to getting good results.

If you were my patient, I'd probably also use moxibustion. Moxibustion is the burning of powdered Artemisia vulgaris (Chinese wormwood) leaves - either directly on the skin (which we don't tend to do in the US), near the skin using a cigar-like roll of moxa (very common in the US) or on top of an inserted needle (also fairly common). Studies from Japan have shown that using moxibustion can increase the production of both red and white blood cells making it a useful addition to a treatment for anemia.

As I alluded to in my first paragraph, having sufficient raw material is key - no matter what other treatments you add. B12 comes mainly from meat, so if you're vegan/vegetarian you may need to consider supplementation. Iron has lots of different dietary sources - from leafy greens like spinach to meats like beef or buffalo.

Acupuncture can help and any good acupuncturist is probably also going to suggest some dietary changes. You'll see the best results if you can incorporate both.

For the best results, please make sure you're seeing an NCCAOM board certified and state licensed acupuncturist. Particularly if you're open to moxibustion, you need to make sure you're seeing someone who went to Chinese medical school and understands how to diagnose, choose a modality, use that modality and what the cautions and contra-indications might be.