Home

Available Treatments 

News

New Patient Coupon

Contact Us

Office Hours

By Appointment Only

631-689-6221

 

Most Insurance Plans accepted. Please check with your carrier first to make sure acupuncture is covered.

We also accept

*Checks / Cash

Please visit my Herbal Store at Herbsbynature.com

Treating Allergies with Acupuncture and

Oriental Medicine

Acupuncture or Allergy Shots?

Acupuncture for allergies? It's true. As the ancient Eastern healing practice gains respect in the Western world, some allergy sufferers are opting for the thin needles of an acupuncturist over allergy shots.

Why the switch? "A lot of people have been unsuccessful with drugs. The drugs may have given them side effects or reacted with other medications, Or some people don't want to initiate medication if they don't have to. They're willing to try other things and use medication as a last resort.

Treatment with acupuncture can either dramatically lessen someone's allergic reactions, or, in some cases, it can actually help the person tolerate what previously caused the sneezing and wheezing.

Not just treating symptoms

Whether you're allergic to peanuts or shellfish, ragweed or dog dander doesn't matter. An acupuncturist takes a rather holistic approach and treats the individual rather than the symptoms. Your allergy symptoms, your itchy, watery eyes, your stuffiness are a way of expressing a deeper down imbalance in your system.

The way acupuncture works to control allergies isn't exactly known. However, instead of introducing chemicals such as an antihistamine to control an allergic reaction, acupuncture works with the person's internal pharmacy.

Experts have data that suggests acupuncture alters the secretion of neurotransmitters and neurohormones, and the regulation of blood flow, both centrally and peripherally.

There is also evidence that acupuncture can stimulate immune function changes. A National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference reported in 1997 that 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 bottom line is, it isn't the allergy itself that's the problem but the patient's reaction (to the allergen).

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. "When there is a glitch in the system, you use the needles to re-program. In other words the body can be re-programmed so it does not react to pollen or 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.

How long someone receives treatment for allergies depends, again, on the individual. Typically, allergy sufferers go weekly for the first four to six treatments. Some patients may need more, some less. Then the acupuncturist may try to extend the time between treatments.

"Some people need tune-ups, depending on seasonal changes or their own situations. It's hard to tell how someone will react.

Combination approach to treatment

It's not necessary to throw Western medicine out the window when treating someone with acupuncture. For example, acupuncturists recommend environmental controls, just as allergists do. Environmental controls such as avoiding certain foods, not going outside when pollen counts are high or vacuuming with a special HEPA filter can minimize a person's exposure to an allergen.