Acupuncture for Allergies

Acupuncture therapy may help you feel better if conventional treatment methods have failed in helping your manage allergies. Many allergy sufferers have found success using this alternative method to address their seasonal symptoms.

Acupuncture is a form of treatment that originated in ancient China and has gained popularity in the United States in recent years to treat an array of health problems, including chronic allergies. The technique is performed by sticking thin needles into pressure points around your body in an effort to re-adjust the energy flow and help achieve a more balanced state.

To date, there's lack of concrete data to back up the effectiveness of acupuncture for allergies, in large part because it's difficult to measure the results and to test them against a control group in any meaningful way. Nonetheless, as long as sterile needles are used, this method comes with few side effects, so if your doctor gives you the okay, you can try it for yourself without taking any serious risks. Just make sure the acupuncturist you're considering is certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

Exactly what to expect from acupuncture will depend on the style and preferences of your practitioner, but many acupuncturists will treat allergies using a two-part process. First, the professional will need to diagnose the cause of your allergies by identifying areas in your body that are out of whack. This will help her determine where to focus her attention.

The second part of the process is to stimulate certain pressure points with acupuncture needles. (Some western acupuncture treatments substitute lasers instead.) While the concept may seem off-putting at first, most patients report that this isn't painful, although there may be a deep ache or tingling sensation when the needles reach the pressure points. You'll usually need to lie with the needles inserted into your skin for about 20 to 30 minutes in order to achieve optimum results.

After a few visits, the experts say that you'll probably feel an improvement in symptoms. But exactly how long this takes can be a very individual thing and will depend on your health history and specific situation. It's also important to remember that this approach isn't effective for everyone. While you wait to find out if this works for you, you'll still need to continue avoiding your triggers and using allergy medications to control your reactions.

Many acupuncturists also use herbal medicines in conjunction with acupuncture therapy to achieve faster results. The best way to protect yourself is to always check with your allergist before taking any alternative herbal treatments since this method could trigger a reaction.

Sources:

"Acupuncture Pins Down Allergy Relief." Fox News. Foxnews.com, 3 April 2007. Web. 2 Oct. 2011.

"Complementary Medicine Has a Role in the Treatment of Allergic Diseases." American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAII). ACAAI.org, 11 Nov. 2006. Web. 2 Oct. 2011.

"Tests and Procedures: Acupuncture." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 2 Oct. 2011.

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Could Acupuncture Help Treat Diabetes?

You try to get some exercise (most days), you eat right (no extra desserts for you!), and you take whatever medications your doctor recommends. Chances are that your doctor has never mentioned acupuncture as a way to improve your diabetes, though. So far, this ancient form of Chinese medicine is not exactly a standard treatment for the disease. But some experts say that it's an area that warrants further study.

"The results of using acupuncture are certainly not as earth-shattering as treating diabetes with Western medicine," says Spyros Mezitis, MD, of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "But if someone has tried all the Western medicine techniques and the diabetes isn't improving, then acupuncture may be a worthwhile alternative to try."

Acupuncture experts believe that lowering the temperature in the back of the eyes, which is what happens when the needles are inserted in certain areas of the body, actually lowers the blood pressure. "And with a lower blood pressure, you are less likely to suffer damage to the eyes," Mezitis says. "There is also some lowering of the blood sugar."

Some research shows that when patients with diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes, have lower blood pressure, their chance of having the small blood vessels in the eyes burst is reduced, he says. "If there is less pressure on the blood vessels, they don't collapse and burst, which means less diabetic retinopathy," he says.

If a diabetic decides to go for acupuncture, "We look at each person individually and try to assess what their individual pattern is," says Joy Lindquist, wellness coordinator and licensed acupuncturist at Long Island College Hospital in New York City. Typically, a person with Type 2 diabetes presents with weight gain, excessive hunger and thirst, and frequent urination, she says. "In Chinese, this is an imbalance in the flow of qi, which is energy flow," Lindquist explains. "It produces heat which depletes the body's fluids, and that's where you get the excessive thirst."

An acupuncturist would assess a diabetic patient and tailor the treatment to that individual, Lindquist says.

It's not uncommon for people with Type 2 diabetes to receive acupuncture, she says. "And I see many people who are pre-diabetic," she adds. "Acupuncture can be effective because it balances the body, balances the qi, and the disease can go away."

Acupuncture treatments, Lindquist says, may be recommended on a weekly basis. Insurance doesn't typically cover acupuncture, she adds, and an acupuncture treatment could run anywhere from $80 to $125.

If you decide to go the acupuncture route, be sure to find a licensed acupuncturist with a lot of experience, Mezitis says. And bear in mind that acupuncture for diabetes is still considered an alternative treatment. "What's needed is a large study where you can compare Western medicine with acupuncture," Mezitis says. "

Source:
Yo, Lin. "Acupuncture and diabetes." November 2003. Acupuncture Today.
http://acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=28326

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