MHS practitioners have decades of experience working with diabetic and pre-diabetic patients. Our approach is a unique blend of current medical findings and traditional Asian medicine strategies. We offer the education, support, resources, and treatment you’ll need to manage and even prevent problems with blood sugar regulation for the rest of your life.

Metabolism Statistics

The stats on metabolic disorders in the United States are pretty shocking. As of 2023, the CDC reports the following:

37.3 million people have diabetes (11.3% of the US population).

28.7 million people, including 28.5 million adults have been diagnosed with diabetes.

8.5 million people (23.0% of adults) are undiagnosed.

96 million people aged 18 years or older have prediabetes (38.0% of the adult US population).

26.4 million people aged 65 years or older (48.8%) have pre-diabetes.

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html

If understanding the chemistry of sugar metabolism makes your head spin, here’s the intro to diabetes: It is a disease characterized by high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Glucose, the main energy source for cells in the body, is transported from the blood into cells by a hormone called insulin.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune condition involving destruction of the body’s insulin-producing cells. Type II diabetes, which makes up 95% of all diabetes cases, occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin (aka insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome/pre-diabetes). The pancreas may also eventually stop producing enough insulin in Type II. Both types of diabetes show high blood glucose levels.

There’s also hypoglycemia, and reactive hypoglycemia, two conditions of blood sugar dysregulation which happen when blood glucose levels are too low (not a good thing since glucose is necessary for pretty much every cellular process in our bodies). Symptoms include irritability when you’re “hangry”, dizziness, shakiness, confusion, and when severe, coma or seizures. Hypoglycemic episodes activate the adrenal glands’ cortisol output and trigger a physiological stress response. Hypoglycemia can be complicated with insulin resistance and diabetes.

What this means is that problems with metabolism and blood sugar regulation are big players in obesity and chronic disease. People with blood sugar disorders are more likely to have circulatory issues, cardiovascular disease, and frequent infections (think: COVID). It may seem like a diagnosis of diabetes or insulin resistance means that you’ll be stuck with a lifetime of insulin injections or other drugs like metformin and mounjaro, but with the help of traditional East Asian medicine, that might not be the case.

Recognizing the signs and symptoms early on is key. We look closely at your blood work to spot blood sugar dysregulation, often before your doctor thinks it’s worth mentioning. When we see patients on the spectrum of metabolic disorders, we are adept at recommending appropriate nutritional management, which greatly reduces your chances of developing diabetes and its complications. For our patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes, we focus on managing the secondary conditions associated with the disease and help you attain greater success managing your blood sugar.

How Can Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) Help?

Unlike allopathic medicine, TEAM views the way metabolic disorders present in each person as symptoms of a deeper problem. Things like weight gain, digestive disorders, a weakened immune system, food cravings, pain, hormonal imbalances and even the lack of motivation to exercise can be signals of the way your body is manifesting a problem of blood sugar regulation.

That means there’s no shame here in our clinic. Symptoms like these are signs your body needs help on a fundamental level to regulate itself, not purely a result of bad personal choices. We use a combination of the following to balance blood sugar and restore healthy metabolism:

Acupuncture to regulate the immune system, decrease the stress response, regulate hormones, alleviate pain, and promote healthy digestion.

Dietary counseling to target your unique constitution using a nutrient-dense dietary program based on current scientific research.

Herbal and nutritional supplementation to improve the fundamental biological processes of blood sugar regulation, hormonal balance, and immune and organ system function.

With these tools, MANY of our patients have gone from having a Type II diabetes or Prediabetes diagnosis to not! Let us help you return to a healthy metabolism!