Suffering from allergies? Acupuncture may be your answer.

Acupuncture is helping a whole new generation of allergy sufferers

In the past, allergy shots seemed the only way to contain and treat seasonal or year long allergies.  Today, the story has changed.  Acupuncture offers a systemic approach to the treatment of histamine reactions and overbearing immune responses to external triggers.  With acupuncture we are able to access the bodies deep internal functioning and help to down regulate overacting responses to triggers, while building up white blood cell and tissue function.

In a study published by the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture reduced symptoms of all 26 people – without side effects.  A follow-up study of 72 people totally eliminated symptoms in more than half, with two acupuncture treatments.

“Acupuncture can be particularly useful if you are suffering from multiple allergies, since it works to quiet the areas of the immune system that are over stimulated by exposure to multiple irritating factors,” James Dillard, MD (Clinical advisor to Columbia University’s Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and assistant clinical professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons) tells WebMD

“Quieting the immune system,” would be the same as down regulating the immune response to external triggers.  The study proves what we have known for a while in practice, that acupuncture can access and have a direct affect upon the immune system.  It is always best to start your treatment 3-6 weeks before your outburst of symptoms that you get annually.  This helps to stabilize the body’s immune response long before the triggers in the environment are present.  Give it a little time, and work with your acupuncturist not just for symptom regulation, but overall system function upgrade – meaning, strengthening the body’s ability to tolerate.  During treatment we want to also try to adjust anything that may be inhibiting the output of the immune system, like certain foods, over-exercising, stress, lack of sleep and other factors that may be aiding the white blood cell over-activity.

Overall, acupuncture is offering new hope for not just symptom relief, but long-term immune health.

About the Author

Ranko Tutulugdzija, L.Ac., A.P. graduated with a B.S. from the University of Illinois. He then studied with Zhong Shan Hospital at Nanjing University of Sciene and Technology in Nanjing, China and Yanjiao Community Health Clinic in Bejing, China. Ranko also fcompleted a four year Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine program at South Baylo University in California. Ranko can be reached by email at Ranko@performancerehabnj.com