Don’t Overlook Acupuncture as a Seasonal Allergy Treatment

The blooming trees and flower of spring may put smiles on our faces, but the pollen and mold spores can make us feel like we’re reliving our worst winter cold. Seasonal allergies bring congestion, sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes.

Seasonal allergies, which affect one in six Americans, occur when the body mistakes pollen and mold spores as harmful substances and attempts to fight them by releasing histamine and other chemicals. This causes inflammation that leads to discomfort and irritation.

How do most people deal with allergies? We load up on over-the-counter medications that provide temporary relief from allergy symptoms but do nothing to treat the problem.

One natural treatment option for seasonal allergies that’s often overlooked is acupuncture. The main reason acupuncture is overlooked is because our healthcare system focuses on treating symptoms with medicine instead of attacking the cause of illness and preventing disease through a wellness lifestyle.

For thousands of years, acupuncture has been based on the premise that the body’s energy, or qi, must flow undisturbed throughout the body in order to maintain optimal health. Pain, discomfort and illness are caused by a blockage or imbalance that prevents energy flow.

In other words, the human body should be treated holistically, not as a bunch of individual parts.

Studies have shown that acupuncture can be used to effectively treat specific allergy symptoms, with immediate results in many cases. But a certified acupuncturist will focus on treating the cause of the allergy, opening up energy channels in the head, neck and shoulders so the body’s energy can flow freely throughout the body.

However, the most significant impact of acupuncture treatment is that it helps to bring the entire body into balance. When this happens, you maximize your body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Of course, acupuncture alone won’t bring your body into balance, especially if you have donuts for breakfast, a frozen meal for lunch and fast food for dinner.

To achieve balance, you need to eat a diet that did not come out of a box, can or drive-thru. You need to follow a fitness program developed by someone who understands exercise physiology. You need to take the right supplements in the proper amounts. And you need to avoid stressful situations as much as possible.

At Natural Healthcare Center, acupuncture is one more tool in the shed that we use to treat seasonal allergies and a number of other conditions, along with chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, clinical nutrition, fitness training and more.

If you or a loved one is dealing with seasonal allergies, schedule an appointment so we can get beyond superficial symptoms and attack the cause of the problem.