Acupuncture excels at treating allergies
Have you noticed seasonal allergies creeping in over the past week? The beginning of spring plus dry air and wind has marked the beginning of allergy season for many people here in Denver. The main symptoms I’m noticing right now are head congestion, headaches, fatigue, itchy or runny nose, and hoarse voice. The dryness often causes congestion to stay deep in the sinuses with drainage down the throat.
Instead of allowing your allergies to steadily worsen, why not be proactive and take care of them early in the season?
Acupuncture
Acupuncture gives both immediate and long term relief from allergies. I’ve experienced this relief as a patient myself. During the treatments, I can feel my sinuses open and the irritation calm down. The ancient Taoist roots of this medicine promote living in harmony with nature, and relieving allergy symptoms is a wonderful way to allow us to do just that.
The use of acupuncture for allergies is also backed by science. Several randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of acupuncture on allergic rhinitis. Allergy sufferers who used acupuncture significantly reduced their use of antihistamines, showed improved quality of life scores, had a measurable reduction in symptoms, and a measurable reduction in serum IgE levels.
Acupuncture users also experience lasting improvement, long past their course of treatment, compared to antihistamine users who showed no lasting improvements after discontinuing the drug. Acupuncture is also free of the side effects that many people experience from antihistamines.
Herbs
Chinese herbal formulas are also a great alternative to antihistamines. I’ve found one that works great for me, and a quick search on Pubmed shows that this formula, Xin Yi San, has immunomodulating effects that lead to a reduction in allergy symptoms https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20546945.
There are quite a few options out there for herbal formulas, and they work best when prescribed for your constitution and symptoms. I only carry high potency, high quality brands. If you are interested in trying herbs this allergy season, please come in for a visit and we will find the right ones for you.
If you suffer from springtime allergies, or have noticed that your allergies have been getting worst each year, I’d love to help. Schedule an appointment online, send me an email, or call me today.
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