La Medicina Tradicional China ha demostrado, científicamente, ser de gran ayuda en el tratamiento del Parkinson en cuanto a mejorar los síntomas y la calidad de vida de estos pacientes. Tanto es así que son ya muchos los hospitales que la han incorporado en sus terapias, no sólo en China sino también en renombrados centros internacionales.
Por mencionar solo algunos: Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine (Maryland) y Gleenbrook Hospital (Illinois), en EEUU; YourHealth Manly NSW (Sidney), en Australia; Hôpital Européen Marseille (Marsella) y Hôpital Clemenceau (Normandía), en Francia; The London Clinic (Londres), en Gran Bretaña.
La Acupuntura, una terapia de tratamiento eficaz y segura utilizada en China durante más de 5000 años, se ha extendido ampliamente por todo el mundo para tratar distintas enfermedades neurológicas debido a que puede mejorar síntomas clínicos tales como temblores, función motora, depresión, ansiedad, calidad del sueño, cognición y memoria. Así mismo actúa a nivel comportamental y en el estado de ánimo, disminuye los efectos secundarios de los medicamentos y mejora la calidad de vida de los pacientes con Parkinson (1,2,3, 5, 6, 7,8).
La Acupuntura puede contribuir a la recuperación de las deficiencias funcionales posteriores a un daño cerebral, al estimular la proliferación de tejido neuronal, que está activa en la etapa inicial de la lesión, y al facilitar aún más la diferenciación (4). Estimula y promueve la neurogénesis y, por lo tanto, ejerce efectos terapéuticos sobre el deterioro funcional en los trastornos neurológicos, pudiendo ser especialmente eficaz para mejorar la función motora (5). Se ha demostrado que la Acupuntura es protectora de los tejidos neuronales en trastornos neurodegenerativos (6). También podría desempeñar un papel protector en los nervios craneales al regular la presión arterial y mejorar la circulación cerebral (7). En general, la Acupuntura, al igual que otros agentes neuroprotectores, es antiinflamatoria, antioxidante, antiapoptótica y neurotrófica, presentando mecanismos de acción específicos y de acción múltiple (5). Puede proteger las neuronas dopaminérgicas de la degeneración a través de vías de estrés antioxidante, antiinflamatorias y antiapoptóticas, así como modular el equilibrio de los neurotransmisores en el circuito de los ganglios basales [11,12].
Son varios los estudios científicos de alta evidencia que apoyan el uso complementario con Fitoterapia china para la enfermedad de Parkinson en base a su efecto beneficioso en síntomas motores y no motores, como depresión, insomnio o estreñimiento (13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20).
El Tai Chi es una práctica muy conocida con efectos multidimensionales, incluidos beneficios físicos, psicológicos y de calidad de vida para una amplia gama de afecciones, así como en multimorbilidad [22].
El Taichi y el Qigong son eficaces para mejorar la función cognitiva, la calidad del sueño, la depresión y la función motora, el equilibrio, la capacidad funcional de caminar, la velocidad de la marcha y la calidad de vida del enfermo de Parkinson. Son también eficaces para reducir la incidencia de caídas [23-41].
En conclusión, la Medicina Tradicional China dispone de distintas herramientas de eficacia, científicamente demostrada, que aportan grandes beneficios a los pacientes de Parkinson, tanto a nivel de síntomas como en la mejora de su calidad de vida.
Por Mónica García y Rosa María Canas, miembros del Observatorio de Acupuntura y MTC del Practitioner's Register de la Fundación Europea de MTCI.
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