More than one in seven Americans, or an estimated 37 million, suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million Americans are living with a liver disease diagnosis. Those are pretty serious numbers. The good news: Acupuncture has a well-established history of success in treating kidney and liver disease!

The Role of the Liver in Overall Health

“The physician who knows how to harmonize the liver knows how to treat the hundred diseases.” – Zhou Xuehai 

The liver, the body’s largest organ, has a significant impact on more than 500 of our body systems and is crucial for our health and wellbeing. It filters blood entering from the digestive system before distributing it to the rest of the body. It does this by balancing and generating nutrients that the body can utilize. Additionally, the liver plays a role in immunological, metabolic, and detoxifying processes. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver and its corresponding meridian play a key role in the flow of Qi (energy), as well as the flow of blood and emotions. A person may experience intense emotions like overpowering sensations of anger, depression, impatience, sadness, pressure, anxiety, and other negative emotions when their liver is not performing at its best and there are problems with the flow of blood and qi.

Regular Vero Beach acupuncture treatments can help balance the body holistically and support balance and flow — without the harsh side effects that come with pharmaceutical medications. Additionally, clinical studies on patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease found that subjects who received acupuncture regularly had a significant decrease in liver damage. 

Proper Kidney Function is Key

Proper kidney function is vital to our health in many ways. 

• The kidneys have several vital functions in the body, including:
• Removing excess fluid and waste from the body
• Producing hormones that stimulate the creation of red blood cells and help regulate blood pressure
• Controlling the metabolism of calcium in the body
• Producing vitamin D
• Eliminate drugs from the body

Did you know that chronic kidney disease can also lead to other health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure?

Similarly to the liver, if blood flow or Qi is hindered, kidney problems can arise. Just like acupuncture can increase blood flow to the liver, it can do the same to the kidneys and other organs. Acupuncture has shown great promise with kidney issues including improving kidney stones, renal function, anemia, hypertension, pain, and even hemodialysis-related side effects like fatigue, uremic pruritus, and sleeplessness. 

Acupuncture can also help manage stress as well as stimulate the release of endorphins which in turn relieve pain, improve sleep, reduce fatigue, manage blood pressure, and improve kidney and liver health.

If you are struggling with liver or kidney problems, contact your Vero Beach acupuncturist to begin care!