Acupuncture Services
"Anger causes Qi to rise, joy causes Qi to slow down, grief causes Qi to dissipate, fear causes Qi to descend, surprise causes Qi to scatter, exhaustion causes Qi to waste away, thought causes Qi to concentrate."
What emotions are you experiencing today
and how is it impacting your Chi?
What are Seasonal Allergies?
While most people think of seasonal allergies in the spring, there are many people who also suffer in the fall. Seasonal allergies occur when someone reacts to the pollen of flowers in trees, grasses, weeds or as in the autumn, mold as the leaves begin to fall from the trees. The main symptoms associated with allergies are itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue. Some other symptoms may include gastrointestinal discomfort, sore throat related to post-nasal drip and skin conditions, such as hives and eczema.
The moment that the seasonal allergies begin to flare, most people turn towards western medications that are available from their doctor or the over the counter medications they can pick up anywhere. These medications may offer immediate relief from the symptoms but they also come with their own host of side effects, such as temporary loss of smell and taste. Plus, medications do nothing to improve health and prevent further allergies.
Luckily there are other options available. Most non-western therapies view allergies as a sign of an imbalance in the immune system. Therefore, the best course of action in treating and preventing seasonal allergies is balancing and strengthening the body and the immune system. This can be done through diet, vitamin and herbal supplements, acupuncture and Chinese herbs.
Why Now?
September is the time when we are transitioning from the earth element and late summer into the metal element and fall or autumn. The organs associated with the metal element are lung and large intestine. The balance of the organs associated with their elements may be out of balance during their particular season. In the fall, for example, you may find that you develop a chronic cough that lasts until the cold weather of winter sets in, or that your digestion feels off with either frequent or infrequent bowel movements or a lot of gas. Seasonal allergy symptoms are also often associated with the lung and can be another reason that some people are more affected in the fall. Some people may find that when their allergies are bad, their digestion is worse as well and this is because of the connection between the lung and the large intestine.
How Acupuncture Helps Treat Allergies
Acupuncture is a great way both to treat symptoms of seasonal allergies, and to bring the body into balance so one need not suffer seasonal allergies in the future. The initial treatments would focus primarily on alleviating the symptoms such as the stuffiness, headache and itchy eyes. These symptoms are all part of a larger picture that needs to be analyzed for proper treatment. It will be important for the acupuncturist to have the full disclosure of symptoms, as well as to take a look at the pulses and the tongue. Combining the symptoms with the pulse and the tongue allows the practitioner to relate what is going on in the body back to Chinese Medicine, come up with a Chinese diagnosis, and then put together a treatment plan.
Obviously when the patient comes in with acute symptoms, the most important goal is to relieve those symptoms. This is done through needling, sometimes distally on the arms and legs and other times locally in the head and sides of the nose. These needles help the stuck energy to dissipate and move more smoothly throughout the body relieving the allergy symptoms. This may also involve using some Chinese Herbs to continue to move the energy to help return the body to balance.
Is Acupuncture Effective?
How effective is traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of seasonal allergies? In a study published in the September 2004 issue of Allergy Magazine the researchers concluded that a combination of Chinese herbs and weekly acupuncture sessions showed promise as a treatment for relieving the symptoms of seasonal allergies. The authors of the study recommended that future research investigate the effectiveness of an acupuncture and herb combination in the treatment of other conditions.
The study was done with 52 participants, between ages 20 and 58. The first group received a 20-minute acupuncture treatment weekly for six weeks, with points on the Large Intestine, Gallbladder, Lung and Liver meridians stimulated. Additional points were selected based on each patient's individual symptoms. They were also given an herbal blend of schizonepeta, chrysanthemum, cassia seed, plantago seed and tribulus.
Patients in the control group were given acupuncture, but at the same non-acupuncture points, which were away from meridians. They were treated with needles smaller than those used on the traditional Chinese medicine patients. Control patients also received a non-specific herbal formula comprised of coix seed, licorice, poria, hops, oryza, barley, hawthorn fruit, and medicated leaven.
At the end of the study period, participants in both groups were rated on their level of improvement. The first group treated with traditional Chinese medicine patients demonstrated improvements in allergy symptoms in the eyes and nose, higher levels of physical activity, and an improved psychological condition compared to patients in the control group.
For seasonal allergy sufferers still suffering with traditional Western medical treatments, or weighed down by unwanted side effects like drowsiness, may find relief in acupuncture. In fact, these patients may discover what Hippocrates learned centuries ago, the body has its own incredible power to heal.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a health care system that has been practiced in China for at least 2,500 years. It is based on the idea that there is a vital energy force, or *Qi* (pronounced *chee*), that flows through the body and helps to maintain health. Disruption, or disharmony, in the flow of Qi is believed to cause disease. Acupuncture tries to correct the disruption by stimulating identifiable points that are found close to the skin with pressure, needles, or heat (moxa).
Chinese medical practitioners, such as acupuncturist, do not use the standard methods of diagnosis that are common to western medicine. Although past medical history is important, TCM will look at the whole person by paying close attention to past and present symptoms, family history, and an in depth analysis of bodily functions. Its own unique method of looking at the tongue and taking the pulse also plays a major role in diagnosis.
This method of diagnosis allows a wide variety of conditions to be treated with acupuncture. While many patients seek out TCM practitioners for treatment of medical conditions, it can also be used to help patients maintain health.
What conditions can benefit from the use of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a form of medicine that has been used to treat most problems for thousands of years. Chinese medicine is in its infancy in the USA, and therefore, most people think of acupuncture as a form of pain management. While this may be true, it can also be used to treat many other conditions. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has indicated that Acupuncture has shown promising results for varied conditions, including:
*Treatment of pain
*Adult post-operative and chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting
*Digestive disorders: gastritis and spastic colon, constipation & diarrhea
*Respiratory disorders: sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, recurrent chest
infections
*Neurological and muscular disorders: headaches, fascial tics, neck pain, frozen
shoulder, tennis elbow, tendinitis, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, stroke
rehabilitation
*Urinary, menstrual and reproductive problems, and
*Addictions to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
Acupuncture can also benefit:
*Women's issues: PMS, menopause, hormonal imbalances, and infertility
*Depression, anxiety and panic attacks
*Pain associated with arthritis
*Seasonal allergies and food sensitivities
Will my insurance cover Acupuncture?
Acupuncture, in general, is not covered by most insurance. However, more insurance companies are starting to offer either discount programs or reibursement so calling your insurance company is strongly advised.
If you have been in an auto accident or have a worker’s compensation claim, your insurance carrier should be contacted to ensure that acupuncture is covered. Most of these carriers offer acupuncture as a viable option for treatment. If your treatment is covered, you are not responsible for the billing, as it will be taken care of by the office.
Some insurance will offer reimbursement to their clients or you may have a medical plan at work, which will reimburse you. A receipt will be supplied for your records.
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