Acupuncture improves health of Heart Failure Patients

Heart failure is a progressive debilitating condition marked by the inability of the heart to pump blood for the body. Symptoms vary from shortness of breath to severe fatigue with exercise. A new study, completed by German scientists, placed patients into 2 groups. One group received "real Acupuncture" based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. While the second group received a placebo in which a stimulation of needle pin-prick is felt, but does not break the skin.

The results showed that heart failure patients who received Acupuncture were able to walk longer and recover more quickly from exercise.

Dr. Arnt Kristen stated, "The blood level of a certain messenger, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) actually drops after the real acupuncture treatment. Since TNF alpha leads to a reduction of muscle mass and muscle strength among other things, this would explain the positive effect (of acupuncture) on skeletal muscle function."

The researchers noted that heart failure is more complex involving an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system and various nerve transmitters. "This is precisely where acupuncture may intervene, by bringing these processes back into balance -- it influences the autonomic sympathetic nervous system (excitation), boosts the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation), and also has an anti-inflammatory effect."