Modern medicine considers high blood sugar a disease. Standard treatment is to administer blood sugar lowering drugs to balance the blood sugar. Traditional Chinese medicine sees the blood sugar as high because individuals have a deficient amount of water in their cardiovascular system.

Let’s look at a simple analogy. Take two equal size cups. One cup is filled to the top with water; the other is half full with water. If a teaspoon of sugar is mixed in both cups, which cup will be sweeter tasting? Obviously, the cup that is half filled with water will taste sweeter. So, it isn’t so much the amount of sugar present, but the amount of water present. As time passes, the sugar solute will settle to the bottom. This will create a deceiving amount of sugar.

Modern medicine follows this principle. The blood sugar is high, so drugs are administered. Results are tested by taking a sample of blood from the fingertip, which seems to show the blood sugar has decreased. But, if the sample was taken from the toe, the sugar level will read high because as with the analogy before, the sugar has settled in the feet area. It appears the sugar problem was resolved, but really it has not. Diabetics generally always have very poor circulation in their feet. As a result, if they ever have a wound in their feet, the wound never heals.

The standard treatment in Chinese medicine is to restore water to the cardiovascular system there by correcting the sugar imbalance. There are many herbal medicines to treat high blood sugar. The first consideration is to protect the kidneys as high blood sugar always damages the kidneys. When the kidneys are healthy, there will be no concern for dialysis. Furthermore, good kidneys prevent heart failure. When the kidneys and heart are working properly, the pancreas will heal itself. If patients keep using insulin, that pancreas will eventually cease to function. At this point of degeneration, it is too late for any type of true healing, insulin is the only route. However, herbal medicines may be still be used to protect the heart and kidneys to avoid dialysis.

There should be no cause for alarm when one is taking Chinese herbal medicine for conditions such as high blood pressure or blood sugar. Drugs may still be kept handy, in case of emergencies. Chinese herbal medicine taken for a period of time will eventually bring the body back to normal. When this occurs, drugs will not be necessary anymore.

Dr. Bo-Shih Ni is a licensed acupuncture physician who has practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine for 25 years. His practice, Brevard Acupuncture, is located in Melbourne, FL. Dr. Bo will be speaking at Wild Oats in Melbourne on December 8th at 7pm. For information and appointments call 321-757-9821.