The father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, firmly believed that the body has the power to self-heal. According to him, the greatest force in the restoration of health is the natural healing force within our bodies.
But for thousands of years, the Chinese were already practicing what this great physician was saying and it was done through the healing practice of acupuncture.
A third of the US population has been known to suffer from seasonal allergies. This is about more than a hundred millions Americans. A very old Chinese healing procedure known as acupuncture has been providing a new form of relief. This treatment is considered a safe, natural, and side-effect-free treatment for seasonal allergies, something that across-the-counter and prescription drugs cannot do. This makes acupuncture a very ideal option for individuals seeking a new way to treat allergies this season.
Acupuncture enables the body to improve its various functions and heal itself in a natural manner. This treatment is another means of treating and/or preventing pain, illness, and disease. It works by stimulating specific areas of the body known as acupuncture points located on the epidermis of the skin.
These acupuncture points or acupoints are traditionally used to stimulate energy channels in the body to treat illnesses and correct imbalances. Nowadays, instead of needles, a lot of acupuncturists are now using laser and electricity to stimulate the acupoints in a less invasive manner.
But whatever form of stimulation is used, acupuncturists will never use or put any chemical substances into the body.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine Aspects Involved in Acupuncture
Acupuncture treatment is based on eight principles:
1. Yin and Yang – In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), yin and yang are two opposing and yet complementary forces that determine the state of health of a person based on the state of balance between them. When yin and yang are in relative balance, the person experiences good health and when they are imbalanced the person suffers from a certain health condition.
2. Chi or Qi – Chi is the electromagnetic energy that flows within our bodies that gives us life. Chi, in TCM, basically pertains to life energy or life force as well as the functions of the internal organs.
3. Energy channels – Chi flows within the body through a network of energy channels. These channels form a network of collaterals, minor capillaries, and main channels. The main channels are called meridians and there are 14 of these meridians through which Chi flows. Each main channel is named for the organ it is connected (e.g. Liver channel).
4. Acupoints – There are over 400 acupoints on the skin that relate to the 14 primary channels or meridians. When certain acupoints are stimulated, it affects the activity of the corresponding meridian in a certain way.
5. The 5 Phases of Transformation or Five Elements – These elements include Earth, Fire, Water, Wood, and Metal. They are associated with one another in a complex manner and with the different organs in the body.
6. Zang- (Hsang-) Fu Theory – This theory expounds the interrelationships, and pathological changes, as well as the internal organs’ physiological functions. The five Zang organs are the Kidney, Liver, Spleen, Heart, and Lungs. The Fu organs include the “Triple Warmer” (three parts of the body cavity), Urinary Bladder, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Stomach, and Gall Bladder.
7. Diagnosis – According to Chinese medicine, the pathological changes of the internal organs can be manifested on the surface of the body. This is the reason diagnosis is made through the observation of the pulse, tongue, eyes, and skin.
8. Chinese Syndrome – To differentiate among the various syndromes, eight fundamental principles are used. They include Shi (excess) and Hsu or Xu (deficiency) of Heat and Cold; Interior (Li) and Exterior (Biao) – Yin and Yang.
Allergies and Acupuncture Treatment in Cleveland
What do all these eight TCM principles have to do in the treatment of seasonal allergies?
When someone with uncontrollable sneezing, watery eyes, and a runny nose comes in for acupuncture treatment during the allergy season, the practitioner focuses on the treatment of the symptoms, which is the “branch” of the problem. The patient would keep on receiving treatments in between allergy months, although the focus of the treatment this time would be the strengthening of the immune system, which is the “root,” of the problem.
Using the traditional Chinese medicine way of diagnosing an allergy entails a far more customized method of diagnosis than that used in Western medicine. Allergies are assessed by the pattern of symptoms seen in the patient, and a plan of treatment is formulated based on the pattern to alleviate the specific symptoms.
In Chinese medicine, the diagnosis often commences with the assumption that all allergies may involve an element of dampness, a pathological buildup of water in the body. The acupuncturist observes the symptoms to identify the nature of the allergy (whether it is caused by cold or heat conditions).
In a cold condition, the tongue has a white coating and the expectorant or phlegm is clear or white. In a heat condition, the patient has a rapid pulse, the tongue is reddish and has a yellowish coat, and the expectorant or phlegm is green. After a diagnosis is made, the acupuncturist can identify and treat the specific acupoints to help relieve the symptoms.
Besides the traditional needling procedure of acupuncture, another TCM technique known as “cupping” can be used. This type of treatment is used to improve the flow of Qi and it uses a glass cup. The practitioner lights a flame that is placed in and out of the cup causing the evaporation of air inside the cup. This creates a vacuum inside the cup. The cup in then placed on the lung area to “pull out” the phlegm.
Most acupuncturists also combine Chinese herbal medicine with acupuncture in the treatment of allergy. They may utilize parts of plants that are cut and dried or raw herbs that can be brewed into teas. Granulated herbs can be substituted for patients who can’t stand the more pungent flavored herbs. The granulated herbs are mixed with water and drunk.
How Effective is Acupuncture?
The magazine “Allergy” in its September 2004 issue published a study that showed the effectiveness of weekly acupuncture treatments combined with the use of Chinese herbs in relieving seasonal allergy symptoms. The study’s authors suggested that further research be done to validate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal therapy and acupuncture in the treatment of other conditions.
A total of 52 subjects, ages ranging 20 to 58, all with allergy symptoms participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group were treated with a weekly 20-minute session of acupuncture treatment for six weeks using the acupoints related to the Liver, Lung, Gallbladder, and Large Intestine. Additional acupoints were included based on the patient’s specific symptoms. An herbal formula comprised of tribulus, plantago seed, cassia seed, chrysanthemum, and schizonepeta were also given to the members of this group.
Another kind of acupuncture treatment that stimulated acupoints that were not connected to the meridians was used in the subjects in the control group. Also, the needles used in treatment of the control group were smaller than the ones used on the other group. The control group was also given a non-specific herbal solution made up of medicated leaven, hawthorn fruit, barley, oryza, hops, licorice, and coix seed.
When the study concluded, the researchers evaluated the level of improvement of both groups. Compared to the people in the control group, members of the group treated with TCM showed improvements in the symptoms affecting the nose and eyes. The traditional Chinese medicine group also experienced better outcomes in their psychological condition and experienced better levels of physical activity than that of the control group.
For people whose allergy symptoms did not improve after availing themselves of conventional Western medical treatments, or for those weighed down by adverse side effects such as drowsiness, they may experience symptomatic relief with acupuncture. They may actually experience what Hippocrates said centuries ago; that the body has the incredible power to heal itself.