Diabetes‧糖尿病

Diabetes mellitus is probably the single most important metabolic disease and is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. It has been out of control in the U.S., with current estimates are that over 7.8% of the adult population has the disease, 92% of them with the type 2 diabetes mellitus (NIDDM: non-insulin-dependent) with 600,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It usually appears around the age of 50 or later, though it can occur during teen years in some cases of obesity. 　　Diabetes is characterised by three well-known syndromes, polydipsia (excessive thirst), polyphagia (excessive hunger) and polyuria (excessive urination). Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Over time diabetes are accompanied by many severe complications, such as blindness, renal failure, lower-limb amputations, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes. 　　Acupuncture treatment for diabetes is most effective for those individuals who have had diabetes for only a few years, and have a milder disease manifestation. Diabetic acupuncture is also most effective in treating diabetes in younger individuals.The herb formulas that had been shown to have hypoglycemic effects in the animal studies. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) often conducted in conjunction with acupuncture, and based on several different principles and herbs, the treatment has been effective for diabetes sufferers in many instances.

糖尿病是以多食、多飲、多尿、形體消瘦、體倦乏力或尿有甜味為特徵的一種疾病。它相當於中醫書中的消渴。消渴之名首見於《內經》。《靈樞.五變》篇說：「五臟皆柔弱者，善病消癉」。指出了五臟虛弱是發生消渴的主要因素。中醫根據本病的「三多」症狀，將其區分為上、中、下三消，如《證治準繩.消癉》篇說：「渴而多飲為上消（膈消）；消谷善饑為中消（消中）；渴而便數有膏為下消（腎消）。」但雖有三消之分，但其病機性質則一致，均與肺、脾（胃）、腎有密切關係。本病主要由於素體陰虛、飲食不節，復因情志失調，勞欲過度所致。 　　針灸治療糖尿病在中醫典籍中早有記載。如晉代《針灸甲乙經》中載有“消渴身熱、面目黃，意舍主之；消渴嗜飲，承漿主之；消渴，腕骨主之…”等6個治療穴位，之後唐代《備急千金要方》和《外台秘要》有更詳細的記載，穴位增加到35個，明代《普濟方》集明以前之大成，總結辨證取穴18種，總穴44個，到清代《針灸集成》對病機有更進一步認識，分型論治則更加具體。 　　近來有關於針灸治療糖尿病的研究日漸增多，其治療作用可歸納為以下幾個方面：使胰島素水平升高，胰島素靶細胞受體功能增強，加強胰島素對糖元的合成代謝及氧化酵解和組織利用的功能，從而起到降低血糖的作用。使血液中甲狀腺素含量降低，從而減少了其對糖代謝的影響，有利於降低血糖。可使全血比粘度、血漿比粘度等異常指標下降，防止血栓形成，令微循環障礙改善，進而減少糖尿病的慢性併發症。

Obesity‧肥胖

Obesity is a condition that describes when one's body weight is in excess of what is considered healthy. It occurs you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass. 　　Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, and kidney and gallbladder disorders. The higher the obesity level you have, the greater the health risk to you. Being obese is different than merely being overweight. When one's body weight is more than twenty percent for men and twenty-five percent for women that which is considered a desirable weight, one is considered obese. In the United States, 17% of children are obese and 20% of all adolescents are obese. 80% of obese teenagers are likely to grow into obese adults. (Standard Weight: kg = (height cm – 100) X 0.9) 　　Acupuncture not only focuses on an individual's problem areas but it also balances the whole body. It will not melt fat away but it most certainly does address the health issues that accompany obesity and that lead to becoming overweight. Stimulation of the endocrine system can regulate not only the metabolism but many other functions of the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine is profound and powerful because it generates a real balancing of your body and gives you the motivation to take an active role in your own well-being.

　　肥胖是體重超過標準體重20%以上，且多伴有頭暈乏力、神疲懶言、少動氣短等症狀，其是由於先天遺傳因素、過食油膩、久坐久卧或運動不足等引起的氣虛痰濕偏盛的症狀為主的一類病證。

(標準體重：kg = (身高cm – 100) X 0.9)

　　本病的中醫辨證分型，可分為「虛」、「實」二大類。如果肥胖伴有皮膚白皙、肌肉鬆軟、疲倦、氣短、自汗、畏寒或怕熱、便溏或腹瀉，有時下肢還會出現浮腫者，就是屬於「虛胖」體質；「實胖」則是體內脂肪積聚過多所致的肥胖，其體格較為結實，且常伴有便祕、高血壓、高血脂等症。

　　從中醫角度來看，肥胖是因為「脾氣虛弱，痰濕內停」的內因，或是飲食過量，運動不足的外因或兩者兼具所造成。其主要病位在「脾」，脾主肌肉，能運化食物中的營養，以滋養全身。但若脾陽不足，導致脾失健運，身體運化功能失常，就容易產生中醫所說的痰濕（脂肪）積存於肌膚之中，形成肥胖。所以，中醫治療肥胖常以健運脾氣，燥濕化痰為主，以循序漸進的方式，針對每人不同的體質，找到最合適的方法來進行。

　　在對肥胖的治療上，中醫除了配合調整內分泌的中藥也使用針灸，來有效調整肥胖體質。最常被使用的減肥針法，有耳針及體針兩類。耳針可有效的降低過盛的食慾，減少卡路里的吸收，使消耗的熱量，比吸收的熱量多，進而產生減肥的效果。而體針的針灸穴位，則可改善體內的新陳代謝，消除及分解積存於身體內的多餘油脂，以達到瘦身的目的。針灸減肥，約有百分之九十的成效，而且沒有心悸、失眠、貧血等副作用。