How Acupuncture Can Safely Help With Allergies and Asthma
Do you suffer from allergies or asthma? If so, you aren’t alone. It’s estimated that more than 26 million Americans have the chronic inflammatory disease asthma, and more than 50 million Americans have nasal allergies. While most people resort to harsh prescription drugs to treat these conditions, a safer and more effective solution may lie in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture.
Some people might turn your head at the thought of treating asthma by placing small needles just into the surface of your skin. However, this ancient practice is believed to be effective in the treatment of numerous respiratory disorders, including asthma. The World Health Organization (WHO) even listed asthma as being “a condition for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that acupuncture will cure your asthma, but it can help alleviate the symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups.
Acupuncture involves the placement of fine needles in specific points of the body, known as acupuncture points. The idea behind this practice is that placing the needles in these areas will balance the body’s flow of functional energy (Qi) to promote health. When Qi becomes stagnant or blocked, it leaves the individual susceptible to disease and illness, which is why it’s important to promote good circulation of Qi throughout the body. Professional acupuncturists often treat asthma by using acupuncture points found in the Lung, Stomach, Urinary Bladder and Kidney meridians.
Of course, acupuncture may also help those who suffer from allergies. Allergies are the result of the immune system’s overactive response to a foreign invader. When you are exposed to an allergen, for instance, your immune system may view this substance or pathogen as being a foreign invader to the body, at which point it responds by manifesting symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, etc to rid itself of the foreign invader.
By stimulating the body’s Qi, balance in the immune system can be encouraged to properly deal with such foreign invaders. Often times, herbal medicine is used as a safe and gentle adjunct treatment along with acupuncture to address typical signs and symptoms of allergies and asthma such as eye and sinus irritation, wheezing, coughing, low energy, and post nasal drip.
Whether your allergies are minor or severe, you should consider seeking the services of an acupuncturist. It’s a safe and painless process that can reinvigorate your body and mind, alleviating the symptoms of both allergies and asthma. A study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found acupuncture to offer greater relief of allergies when compared to both antihistamines and sham acupuncture.
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