Smell the Flowers: Acupuncture and Allergies

As I mentioned in my first post about natural treatments for allergies, acupuncture is a becoming a popular choice for helping to reduce seasonal allergies.

Acupuncture offers an effective drug free treatment.  So you can smell the flowers without worrying about being too drowsy and foggy brained.

Acupuncture is different than taking a pill

Antihistamines are commonly taken for allergies.  These are medicines which block the chemicals called histamines that cause the symptoms of allergies.

Acupuncture is different.  Chinese medicine works by correcting imbalances in your body, stimulating your own body to heal itself.  So instead of simply suppressing the body’s reaction, it works to correct the root cause of the problem.

In other words, acupuncture helps to reset the body and remind it how to be healthy.  As balance is achieved, your body is able to maintain the healthy state without medications.

The root is in your Qi

The Chinese Character for Qi

Qi (pronounced chee) is the body’s vital energy, it gives you the power to work, study, exercise, and fight illness.

The root cause of allergies is often a qi imbalance.  There are two major qi imbalances.  The most common one for allergies is when there is too little qi, we call this a qi vacuity.    When your qi is vacuous, you feel tired, can get colds easily, may have poor digestion, coughing, wheezing,  and possibly asthma.  The acupuncture and herbs work to boost up your qi, giving you more energy and protecting you from allergies.

The second imbalance is called qi stagnation. This is when your qi does not circulate well. This is often caused by stress, and can cause pain, headaches, menstrual cramps, and in some cases, bring on asthma attacks.

Is there a scientific explanation?

We still don’t know everything about how acupuncture works.  We do know that it can reduce inflammation and increase circulation, which can certainly help allergies.  We also know it helps to regulate the brain to reduce pain, so it is also possible that is another way it works to help regulate the immune response to allergies.

Clinical studies are now reaffirming some of our clinical experience.  This study showed acupuncture, in addition to routine care, was effective at reducing the symptoms of allergies.  Another one, showed that acupuncture alone was helpful.

Get acupuncture and smell the flowers!

If you are interested in finding out more about how acupuncture can reduce your seasonal allergies, please call us at 917.887.4946 for a free consultation.

Photos: massdistraction, wikipedia