Acupuncture safest treatment for diabetes, says Fasehun

A Chinese-trained Acupuncturist, Dr Frederick Fasehun, has called on the managements of University Teaching Hospitals across the country to invite experts to train some of their doctors on Acupuncture.

Fasehun made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

According to him, Acupuncture is a new and safest treatment for diabetes.

Wikipedia defines Acupuncture as a form of alternative medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body. It is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine.

It is used in the treatment of various physical and mental conditions.

Fasehun said: “I will advise government and the managements of teaching hospitals in Nigeria to train and encourage Doctors in Acupuncture.

“Acupuncture is not popular in the treatment of diabetes. That is the reason government should encourage more doctors to go into it.

“Americans in the United States are crazy about acupuncture and are making good incomes from it; as a matter of fact, the most popular doctors in the US are acupuncturists.

“It does not matter whether the doctor is already trained in Western medicine; Doctors should also offer themselves to be trained in acupuncture,’’ Fasehun said.

He urged people suffering from diabetes to treat their conditions with acupuncture because it had not been identified with any adverse effect.

Fasehun expressed the hope that the few he trained upon his return from China would not, because of the low patronage, discontinue the practice.

He explained that the needles used for the treatment were, however, expensive, urging government to provide and make available such needles for young doctors who would want to be trained in the field, to work with.

The acupuncturist said also that using acupuncture as a treatment for diabetes was better and safer and could cause very minimal damage to the human body.

He said: “Drug treatments of diabetes have been long standing and we no longer discover much improvement in the treatment of diabetes with them.

“The dangers of drug treatments for diabetes include reaction to drugs (adverse reactions) such as leaving some patients with heart failure, as well as rashes that may become prominent.

“It might also cause one to develop eye problems like blindness, as well as serious damages to the liver, kidney, skin, among others.’’

He urged government to create awareness on the new treatment of diabetes for people to become aware of it.

Fasehun also advised government to invest in the health sector, to prevent Nigerian professional doctors from stagnating, instead of travelling abroad to look for greener pastures.