Acupuncture Supports White Blood Cell Activation

White blood cells are the first responders of the immune system within the human body. They are the heroes that step up and confront pathogens or perform other defensive actions needed to maintain optimal health. Most of the time, these actions go unnoticed but internally there is often a conflict taking part and the more white blood cells win, the better.

However, as powerful and resilient as the immune system is, there are times that it can benefit from outside support. Utilizing naturopathic medicine offers an excellent toolbox of supporting modalities to choose from.

These may include:

• Homeopathy
• Acupuncture
• Botanical medicine
• Clinical nutrition
• Nutraceutical supplementation

It is acupuncture that really stands out as the advantageous, yet, mysterious workings of this modality continue to intrigue medical science. Studies of acupuncture affirm the beneficial results of this ancient practice. As these studies continue, new discoveries of biological mechanisms on the cellular level emerge. One recent cellular reaction shows how acupuncture supports white blood cell activation and may even be able to polarize white blood cell response to a specific area. This is good news for a natural application when pharmaceutical attempts may show minimal or no result. It also may help when used as an adjunct treatment alongside conventional attempts.

Reducing Inflammation

Maintaining homeostasis (equilibrium) is one of the biggest challenges there is when trying to attain optimal health. Inflammation is one of the topmost prominent obstacles to human health and science has made a great effort to produce pharmaceuticals that lower inflammation and reduce pain. Unfortunately, these are temporary fixes which may not help much with the root of the problem. That is up to the body once the inflammation recedes. If advised by your naturopathic doctor or physician, to avoid possible side-effects or if a more holistic approach is desired, acupuncture may help.

There are a wide variety of natural remedies for reducing inflammation. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet, such as the Mediterranean Diet, is an excellent choice. There are also botanical medicine choices which are herbal protocols that may involve applications of

well-studied, anti-inflammatory remedies including:

• Garlic
• Ginger
• Green tea
• Boswellia
• Tart cherry juice
• White willow bark
• Turmeric (curcumin)

However, it is acupuncture that has been linked to superiorly elevating the body’s response to inflammation and may soon, one day, be a mainstream choice for a variety of inflammatory conditions.

Direct Messaging

In recent laboratory models, acupuncture has shown to be able to help message white blood cells to areas of inflammation.

In a 2021 study of the effects of acupuncture on white blood cell distribution, posted by the National Library of Medicine, the conclusion stated,

“It has been suggested that polarization of T-lymphocytes [white blood cells] and cytokine [inflammatory cell] secretions resulting in modulation of the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, may be upstream mechanisms of acupuncture-induced macrophage [white blood cell] polarization. We further propose that macrophage polarization could be the principal pathway involved in acupuncture immune regulation and provide the scientific basis for the clinical application of acupuncture in inflammatory conditions.”

This study proves how acupuncture may be able to encourage direct messaging to areas of inflammation, particularly areas that may not have been considered, until now.

Decreasing Inflammation Associated with Dementia

One recent example of white blood cell polarization to reduce inflammation is in the brain.

New research results of a rodent model published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (7/19/21) show how acupuncture can regulate the peripheral immune white blood cell response in laboratory rats to help improve dementia symptoms.

The study concluded that,

“There are abnormal immune function and peripheral inflammation in VD [vascular dementia] rats. Acupuncture can regulate the peripheral immune function and inflammation of the VD rats and can improve the cognitive dysfunction of the rat.”

Acupoint Selectivity

As results of acupuncture on white blood cell polarization for human patients with dementia will certainly begin to emerge, more studies are showing excellent reactions of how acupoint selectivity correlates.

The Harvard Gazette reported how acupuncture could create a specific path to a specific problem when select meridian (pathway) points are followed. This is no surprise to those trained in acupuncture as these meridians are the essential “body map” used for thousands of years, however modern science continues to search for answers.

Lead investigator Qiufu Ma, HMS professor of neurobiology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute commented on a study of mice,

“Based on this nerve fiber distribution, we can almost precisely predict where electrical stimulation will be effective and where it will not be effective, together, these results provide “the first concrete, neuro-anatomic explanation for acupoint selectivity and specificity,

They tell us the acupuncture parameters, so where to go, how deep to go, how strong the intensity should be.”

This research, and so much more, shows the continued modern probing into an ancient modality that has more positive reviews than most holistic remedies. Each time researchers probe it is a privilege of modern science to be able to see deeper into the mechanisms of acupuncture. Supporting white blood cell activation through acupuncture could mean more rapid healing with less side-effects and optimal overall root cause response.

At Integrative Med Solutions, we will design an acupuncture program that works for you. In many cases, insurance covers portions of the treatment. Allow us to support you to achieve optimal health. To make an appointment or find out more about how acupuncture and naturopathic medicine can benefit you, please call our office at 914-337-2980 or Click Here to schedule an online appointment.

*Please Click Here to see a current list of insurance companies that commonly carry acupuncture benefits for its members. For more info, please call 914-337-2980 or securely email us at info@intmedsolutions.com.

Best in health from Integrative Med Solutions.