What does the research say about acupuncture and seasonal allergies?

The American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy published research that found acupuncture effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is also known as hay fever. The researchers compiled the results from 13 quality studies, which followed 2,365 participants. The various studies confirmed acupuncture significantly lowers the antibody known as immunoglobulin E or IgE. IgE is the antibody associated with allergies and hypersensitivities.  The researchers found not only was the IgE antibody lowered, but so too were the symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis. The participants also reported better quality of life.

Check out our Herbal Tonic Guide for Seasonal Allergy Prevention

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offer a permanent solution to seasonal allergies with an all-natural approach that will ultimately save you money. Since acupuncture attacks allergies in a much different method than Western medicine, there is a good chance your allergies will cease to be a problem. Western medicine knows how allergies work and what happens to the body, but there is still no explanation as to why. Acupuncture doesn’t need to know why, this is because Acupuncture looks at the body as a whole and uses an elemental system to determine where there are excesses and deficiencies in each person. The essence of individualized, whole-body medicine. So, the acupuncture treatments are completely customized to each patient, thus making them much more effective than over-the-counter medications.        

When using acupuncture to treat allergies, practitioners focus heavily on something called Wei Qi. Wei Qi is similar to the immune system in Western medicine. Wei Qi protects the body against foreign materials that can lead to inflammation and eventually allergies. People with lower immunity/Wei Qi are more susceptible to allergies and frequent colds. Acupuncture helps to boost the Wei Qi making it more difficult for allergens to attack the body.

Press on LI4, a common point used for regulating congestion, sinus headaches, and local hand/wrist pain!

Acupuncture by itself will make a difference in fighting allergies, but adding herbs and herbal formulas will provide the final punch to help eliminate allergies for good. Because each patient has different causes for their allergies, adding herbal formulas can greatly increase the efficacy of the acupuncture treatments by extending the effect of the needles.

For example, if a patient specifically gets itchy, watery eyes when their allergies flare up, then the practitioner would likely want to draw the excess energy/element down. In this particular case, the patient would have an excess of fire creating wind. The practitioner would use acupuncture points known to decrease fire and wind in the body.             

Ultimately what acupuncture does is boost the Wei Qi/immune system while decreasing the inflammatory response in your body that occurs when an allergen is encountered. The other aspect of treatment, as stated earlier, is to look at the patient as a whole versus just the symptoms. A good acupuncturist will also focus on dietary habits that may be contributing to your allergies. Many times a person’s Wei Qi is depleted from within due to the foods they are eating. Things like sugar and dairy are often associated with a lower immune system.  Eliminating or drastically reducing these items will allow the body to recover more quickly, making allergy attacks easier to resolve. 

Quick tip: Dairy creates dampness in Chinese Medicine. Dampness leads to sinus congestion. So try cutting dairy out during allergy season to see the difference in your stuff nose! Get that dampness out!    

If you suffer from seasonal allergies and are looking for safe, natural, and effective options. Give our office a call today at (425) 686-4498 to set-up your initial consultation to learn how we can help tackle your allergies this season!

Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in Bothell, WA at her practice Starting Point Acupuncture. She specializes in chronic and complex cases and commonly treats neuropathy, fibromyalgia, migraines, autoimmune, and infertility cases. Dr. Ellie Heintze is also the author of the book, A Starting Point Guide to Going Gluten-Free  and Keep Calm and Zen Out available on Amazon.