The Frontline of Clinical Acupuncture for Parkinson's Disease in Korean Medicine

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease manifested by four major motor symptoms including resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability. Although pharmacotherapy is currently the gold standard, expectations are increasing worldwide for complementary and alternative therapies used to overcome the limitations of standard treatment in PD. The results of previous clinical trials indicate that acupuncture could help improve motor symptoms in patients with PD, especially in hypometric gait, which is a characteristic feature of PD. The mechanisms of effect are assumed to be reinforcement of neural plasticity, protective effects on dopaminergic neurons, normalization of neurochemical imbalances within the basal ganglia and functional connectivity of the brain, and reduction of gut microbiota dysbiosis. Further studies will be needed to confirm the specific clinical effects and to address the challenges of specifying the mechanisms.