Portland Acupuncture for Allergies

Acupuncture in Portland for Allergies?  Absolutely!

This is a hard season for many people:  it is (still) raining, the temperatures are cool, and noses are itchy, eyes are watering, and sinuses are plugged all around Portland.  Living in the Willamette Valley has so many advantages: we are close to the coast, a short ride away from the mountains, and much of the year we live in a lush green environment.  It is exactly that combination of factors that makes the greater Portland area such a tough spot for allergy sufferers.  I have spent many years wincing at the first smells of spring for fear of the misery that will follow.  There is hope.

At my clinic, Solstice Natural Health, I have many patients who suffer from severe allergies during certain times of the year, but it is rarely the reason they come in to see me.  They usually say that their allergies are not bad.  Then spring arrives.  They come in for an appointment with red, watery eyes and complain of sinus headaches.  I instinctively bring over the box of tissues at the first sneeze, because there are many more to follow.  I let them know that seasonal allergies do not have to keep them from enjoying the seasons.

Chinese medicine (CM) has long had a high success rate in treating seasonal allergies (check out this study from the publication Allergy: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118767848/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0).  The natural allergy remedies recommended by an acupuncturist do not have the unwanted side-effects that you often see with pharmaceutical allergy medication, such as drowsiness or a jittery feeling.  The best time to start treatment is at least a month or two before the season hits (one of the medicine’s strong suits is preventive medicine), but there are also many options for acute allergy relief.

Acupuncture takes advantage of the body’s natural ability to heal itself.  Treating seasonal allergies is no exception.  Your entire treatment will be individually tailored to you.  Hair-thin needles are inserted at specific acupuncture points on the body that are aimed at balancing the specific disharmonies of your body that are causing your allergy symptoms.  Among the other natural allergy treatment done by a CM practitioner includes the prescribing of Chinese herbal formulas that provide symptomatic relief (during acute attacks) or that resolve the underlying issues that cause sensitivity (during remission phase).  Another key part of treating seasonal allergies is through dietary therapy.  I work with my patients’ individual needs and symptoms to determine how diet can influence their allergies.  Often, avoiding just one or two foods during the allergy season is enough to minimize or even prevent your allergy symptoms.

This season, don’t be held back by your sneezing.  Don’t let your itchy nose and throat make you hate the smell of freshly cut grass.  Get some acupuncture, and discover the wonderful advantages to this medicine.

Erin Brockmeyer, LAc has been practicing acupuncture since 2006 in SE Portland.  She has suffered from allergies for her whole life until she discovered the wonders of Chinese Medicine.  Contact her at erin@solsticeacupuncture.com.  For more information about Erin and Solstice Natural Health visit www.SolsticeAcupuncture.com.