Insights & Discussion
Acupuncture may be a clinically effective and safe treatment for Parkinson's disease.
In this study, a thorough search was done in eight different databases to find systematic reviews and meta-analyses that investigated the potential benefits of acupuncture for treating Parkinson's disease. The methodological quality of these collected reviews was assessed using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 checklist, and the quality of the evidence provided by the reviews was evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria.
Of the 11 reviews analysed, all were regarded as very low-quality studies on the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 checklist. However, despite the limited quality, these reviews provide a narrative analysis that suggests acupuncture may offer a safe and effective treatment for Parkinson's disease. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation scale categorized the evidence quality as very low to moderate. Despite the overall low evidence and methodological quality, it is highlighted that acupuncture may still hold potential as a treatment option for Parkinson's disease. It's also noted that the results should be interpreted with caution due to the low quality of the studies included.
Discover Related Insights
Acupuncture, as an adjuvant therapy or monotherapy, can protect and restore dopaminergic neurons, bearing positive implications for the Parkinson's disease treatment.
2015 Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture for Parkinson's Disease: a review of clinical, animal, and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies Danqing X
Review Article Acupuncture fMRI Study Parkinson's Disease
Methodologically, animal studies were used to investigate the effects of acupuncture treatment on Parkinson's disease. An examination was conducted to see if the treatment was neuroprotective, if it could protect dopaminergic neurons from degeneration, and restorative, if it could restore tyrosine hydroxylase positive dopaminergic terminals in the striatum. These pathways were monitored at both molecular and cellular levels. The research also looked into whether the protection was mediated through the same mechanisms as other neuroprotective agents such as anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic pathways.
The results indicated that acupuncture was not only neuroprotective and restorative, but also seen to improve motor performance in animal models of Parkinsonism. The protective effect appeared to be mediated through common mechanisms of other neuroprotective agents, while restoration of function involved activation of certain compensatory brain regions to correct the imbalances stemming from the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, clinical studies in China and Korea depicted a positive impact of acupuncture in treating Parkinson's disease, specifically by reducing the dosage of dopaminergic medications and the associated side effects.