Most people seem to resort to over the counter medication for getting relief from their allergies. The problem is that these medications can have some rather dreadful side effects. Acupuncture has no harmful side effects. This means that it is possible for anyone to give acupuncture a try and not be concerned about suffering for their daring.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) what acupuncture does is stimulate certain areas of the body which correspond to the condition that is being treated. So, acupuncture is actually a way to help the body heal itself through the stimulation of the relevant points on the body, usually through the insertion of fine needles or laser stimulation.

Acupuncture for allergies is practiced in two parts. There is the treatment of the symptoms – referred to as the branch – and the strengthening of the immune system so the body can combat the allergies on its own – referred to as the root. When you go into an acupuncture treatment with all the symptoms of allergies you will get a different treatment than if you go in while you are not showing the symptoms.

Each treatment is done on an individual basis. Your symptoms are examined in conjunction with your lifestyle and everything else that makes you who you are. This is so that you can be given a treatment that will take care of your individual problems. Western medicine, on the other hand, tends to treat all allergies in the same way and is much more generalized.

An acupuncturist is able to tell the nature of your allergy through a close examination of all the various points in Chinese traditional medicine. They will basically be determining the heat and cold conditions that are affecting you and then treat these.

An acupuncturist will  use needles or a laser beam to stimulate the various points of the body. The treatments will   correct the imbalances that are causing the allergic reaction.

The next time you start to suffer from an allergic reaction to something in your environment, take a moment to seriously consider trying acupuncture.

Give me  a call at 604-839-9789 to book your appointment.

~~ Wendy Lind    RAc   Registered acupuncturist (*CTCMA BC)

Whether you suffer from allergies seasonally or perennially, life can become very miserable. Itching of the eyes, roof of the mouth, or throat, runny nose, headache, sneezing, cough, wheezing…the list goes on.

It is up to our immune systems to defend us against foreign substances such as pollen, dust, pets, etc., however, our immune system can overreact to certain antigens (allergens) which are harmless to most people. The result is an allergic reaction. In other words, it isn’t the allergy itself that is the problem, but the person’s reaction to the allergen.

Acupuncture has been proven to help alleviate the symptoms of allergies when they are active and more importantly, can help to correct the immune system imbalance that causes the allergic response in the first place.

Acupuncture treats allergies in 4 main ways:

1. Stabilizes the immune system to moderate its response to allergens;

2. decreases swelling and inflammation of local tissues to stop itching;

3. decreases secretions of mucus membranes to reduce nasal discharge and watery eyes; and

4. strengthens your natural resistance to antigens.

Acupuncture not only helps with the active symptoms, but also in the prevention of them. Acupuncture can enhance the immune system’s performance in the off-season to prevent the on-set of your allergy symptoms. In other words, acupuncture strengthens the immune system so that your body will not create an overreaction or allergic reaction to elements in nature.

You may also be interested in our BIE  allergy process.