Allergies and Acupuncture
With spring’s sunshine and flowers come wind and pollen, which for many people signals the onset of allergy season. Grass and weed pollens follow in late spring and summer, and airborne mold spores can be found almost year round, as well as other common allergens such as dust, dust mites, and animal dander.
While many over-the-counter remedies promise symptomatic relief, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believe that addressing the causes of allergies, treating the whole person, and focusing on balancing the immune system leads to substantial long-term health benefits in managing allergies. An acupuncturist often views allergies as related to Wind, deficiency of the Protective or Wei Qi, or a more deeply-rooted condition of Spleen or Kidney Deficiency as well as Lung signs according to TCM.
The goal of the acupuncturist is to develop a plan which addresses the person's acute symptoms and provides relief, while addressing the underlying immune system imbalance which is thought to be at the root of the person's allergies. Treatments often include dietary modification, the use of specifically chosen herbal formulas, and acupuncture.
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Managing Migraines
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine have been used to relieve Headaches and Migraines, as well as their underlying causes, for thousands of years and is a widely accepted form of treatment for headaches in our society.
Your diagnosis and treatment will depend on a number of variables: Is the headache behind your eyes and temples, or is it located more on the top of your head? When do your headaches occur (i.e. night, morning, after eating)? Do you find that a cold compress or a dark room can alleviate some of the pain? Do you describe the pain as dull and throbbing, or sharp and piercing?
These questions will help create a clear picture on which your practitioner can create a treatment plan specifically for you. According to Chinese medical theory, illness arises when the cyclical flow of Qi in the meridians becomes unbalanced. Acupuncture points to treat headaches are located all over the body.
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Fibromyalgia Study
If you suffer from the pain or fatigue associated with fibromyalgia, you may want to consider receiving acupuncture. A Mayo Clinic study suggests that this traditional Chinese therapy can temporarily relieve muscle discomfort, loss of energy, anxiety and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. After six treatments over a two- to three-week period, patients answering questionnaires indicated that these symptoms diminished significantly. Unfortunately, the improvements ended with the end of treatment, and according to a seven-month follow-up survey, symptoms returned to pretreatment levels after receiving no acupuncture. The good news is that researchers are suggesting that ongoing acupuncture may offer lasting relief to some patients who aren’t helped by traditional treatments for fibromyalgia, such as antidepressants, stress management and aerobic exercise.
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In This Issue
Allergies and Acupuncture
Managing Migraines
Fibromyalgia Study
Point: Pericardium 6
Point: Pericardium 6
Suffer from motion sickness? Studies estimate that a third to more than half of the population's stomachs start rocking when the boat, car or plane starts rolling.
The acupuncture point, Pericardium 6 (PC 6), on the inside of the wrist activates the part of the brain associated with nausea relief and has been shown to block the nausea reflex for motion sickness, morning sickness and nausea associated with chemotherapy.
This point is located two fingers breadth on the inside of the wrist between two tendons.
Learn more about PC 6
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