Acupuncture For Parkinson’s: How Acupuncture Can Improve Gait In Parkinson’s Disease

Many research studies have shown how acupuncture for Parkinson’s can treat certain symptoms related to Parkinson’s Disease. In this article, we dive into one particularly persuasive study showing how acupuncture treatment is associated with improvement in gait function.

For patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), acupuncture has been shown to improve gait function, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Shimpei Fukuda, Ph.D., from the Meiji University of Integrative Medicine in Kyoto, Japan, and colleagues examined the immediate effects of acupuncture on gait function in 27 outpatients with PD. The acupuncture points used were bilateral legs, bilateral arms, posterior region of neck, and back. Acupuncture needles were inserted perpendicular to the skin surface to a depth of 10 mm. A portable gait rhythmogram was used to measure gait function.

The researchers observed significant increases in gait speed, step length, floor reaction force (all P < 0.001), and cadence (P = 0.007) after acupuncture. No adverse effects related to the therapy were reported.

“Acupuncture can be a safe way to decrease gait disturbances,” the authors write. “Further studies on a set period of acupuncture treatment, as well as controlled comparative studies to exclude the placebo effect, are needed.”

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