Tree, grass and weed pollen continue to coat nearly all stationary objects - and some moving ones! Must be springtime in the Carolinas. All those airborne irritants can ruin this wonderful time of year for those of us who suffer with allergies. But allergy relief doesn’t have to meant a series of shots, or medicines that leave you in a stupor. We see more and more patients each season here at Greenapple Sports and Wellness who are dramatically reducing or completely eliminating their dependence on allergy meds with the help of acupuncture.
Simply put, allergies are the immune system’s overreaction to things in the environment, such as pollen, dust, animal dander, and foods. When the allergic person’s immune system is triggered by the allergen, it causes inflammation. The severity of the allergic reaction can take the form of simple itching eyes, sneezing, and runny nose, rashes or hives, or even life-threatening constriction of the airways. Most often, allergies are treated with antihistamines or decongestants, and sometimes with steroids, which can have unwanted or harmful side effects. But there is a better, safer way to treat allergies.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture have been used to treat allergies for hundreds of years. The results of several modern day studies suggest that TCM therapies like acupuncture can be just as helpful in treating allergies. Both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have been shown to help people with nasal allergies.
In a study published this spring in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found allergy patients in the test showed, “a greater improvement in their allergy symptoms and less use of antihistamines compared to the other groups.” The study’s author Dr. Benno Brinkhaus of the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics at Charité University Medical Center in Berlin wrote, "From my experience as a physician and acupuncturist, and as a researcher, I would recommend trying acupuncture if patients are not satisfied with the conventional anti-allergic medication or treatment or they suffer from more or less serious sides effects of the conventional medication. Also because acupuncture is a relative safe treatment."
We couldn’t agree more. Call Greenapple Sports and Wellness and ask for an appointment for evaluation on how acupuncture can be a part of your allergy treatment protocol.