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Acupuncture and Natural Medicine for Kidney Disease

Kidney disease (also known as renal disease) affects millions of adults in the United States and is a leading cause of disability. While there are many causes of kidney disease, the effects can be broadly classified as either inflammation (glomerulonephritis) or scarring (glomerulosclerosis) of the filtering tubes within the kidney. Either of these effects can cause significant problems with kidney functioning. If kidney problems are severe, treatment may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Causes of Kidney Disease

Kidney disease arises most commonly as a late complication of diabetes or hypertension. Both type I and type II diabetes can lead to kidney disease. Management of blood sugar levels is currently the best known strategy for prevention of this complication of diabetes.

Autoimmune conditions can sometimes lead to kidney problems. These causes of kidney disease include lupus, Goodpasture's Syndrome, and IgA nephropathy. Sometimes, kidney disease can arise after a systemic bacterial infection. Infectious causes include bacterial endocarditis and acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN).1

Many medications may cause kidney problems as a side-effect. Kidney side-effects may be more likely if a patient is taking multiple medications or has pre-existing liver or kidney problems. These drugs include ibuprofen, naproxen, lisinopril, ramipril, candesartan, cisplatin, methotrexate, vancomycin, tobramycin, neomycin, gentamycin, indinavir, ritonavir, cimetidine, omeprazole, and many others. 2,3 Although ACE inhibitors for blood pressure control are in this list, there are some conditions in which ACE inhibitors may help to reduce future kidney problems.

Analgesic nephropathy refers to kidney damage which may occur from frequent or daily use of pain-relief medications.4 This condition occurs in 4 out of 100,000 individuals and leads to gradual and irreversible kidney disease. For patients with pain-management concerns, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases suggests seeking out alternatives to pharmaceutical treatments for pain.

Radiocontrast dye used in some medical imaging studies can rarely cause kidney damage. Kidney damage can be caused by exposure to toxins such as lead, and also by certain genetic conditions. Additional causes include cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, as well as liver conditions.

How We Can Help

Maryland Holistics provides care for chronic illnesses which can slow the progression of many disease conditions. Our therapeutic strategies include acupuncture, nutritional support, meditation training, and coaching for a healthy lifestyle.

Our gentle and effective pain-relief methods are often very valuable for patients who have both pain and kidney concerns. This is because pain-relief medications are frequently a contributing factor to kidney disease, and our services can help to reduce the need for pain-relief medications.

When one physiological system is not functioning properly, or is affected by the presence of a toxin, infection, or illness, this causes hardship on other systems in the body. The body must compensate in various ways, and the level of compensation required is called the body's level of allostatic load.

Our specialized methods can help to reduce inflammation and allostatic load in conditions affecting one or multiple organ systems. This results in patients feeling better and being healthier overall. Illnesses involving multiple organs will often progress more slowly or may begin to heal. Sometimes an illness goes into remission for a while, allowing the patient to enjoy more years of health.

In some cases of kidney disease, the primary health concern cannot yet be adequately addressed or cured with today's medicine. In these cases, our multidimensional natural health strategies can often still offer some help. Even temporary relief of symptoms is often very beneficial for patients' overall outlook and experience. In some cases, our services may delay or prevent some complications of an illness.




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Before Your Visit
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About Dr. Eric Windsor
Biochemical Research on Acupuncture
How We Work with Lab Tests and Imaging


About Maryland Holistics

Maryland Holistics LLC is the private practice of Dr. Eric Windsor, D.Ac., L.Ac. Our serene, professional office is located in Ellicott City, MD. Maryland Holistics has provided care to thousands of satisfied customers since opening in 2009. Dr. Windsor is a preferred provider in the CareFirst, Blue Cross Blue Shield, GEHA, and United Healthcare networks.

3525 Ellicott Mills Dr., Ste E
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Phone: 301-588-5858
Fax: 443-308-5690