Your eyes are red and itchy, you sneeze, and as you reach for an antihistamine you think maybe it’s time to see doctor for medication or shot. Wait, what about acupuncture? Acupuncture for allergies? It’s true. As the ancient Eastern healing practice gains respect in the Western world, some allergy sufferers are choosing the thin needles of an acupuncturist over allergy shots. Treatment with acupuncture can dramatically ease someone’s allergic reactions. In some cases, it can actually help the person tolerate what used to cause the sneezing and wheezing.
Whether you’re allergic to peanuts or shellfish, ragweed or dog dander it doesn’t matter. An acupuncturist treats the individual, not the symptoms. Acupuncture claims that allergy symptoms are a way of expressing a deeper imbalance in a person’s system.
Experts suggest that acupuncture alters the secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and the regulation of blood flow, both centrally and peripherally.
There’s also evidence that acupuncture can stimulate immune function changes. An allergy attack is an immune response. The body’s immune system becomes sensitive and reacts to substances called allergens such as pollen, dust, animal dander, molds, food and medications.
The needles used in acupuncture are almost like switches in the energy circuits of the body. Imagine the body as the computer and the energy system as the software program. The needles may help “re-program” the body so it doesn’t react to pollen, dog dander or peanuts as if they were harmful substances.
The placement of the needles, the direction and depth of insertion, and the manipulation of the needle in the patient’s body all depend on that person’s system or makeup.
Dr. Koh is one of a few select Doctors of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (DAOM) in the United States. Dr. Koh has extensive experience as a practitioner and an educator, currently being a Professor of Acupuncture at Stanton University. For more information visit www.NewHopeAcupuncture.com or call 661-257-1233.