Acupuncture is one of the most popular forms of alternative therapy. This familiar Eastern medicine uses thin needles to apply pressure to targeted points throughout the body. The exact way the applied needles impact your mental and physical health are still debated, but there is a great deal of evidence that these specially placed needles can impact hormone production and alter the way the body handles stress and pain.
In East Brunswick, acupuncture treatment is considered a great way to address common issues like chronic pain, osteoarthritis and migraines. However, the reasons people pursue acupuncture are endless, and new evidence appears regularly showing the benefits of acupuncture for all sorts of mental and physical health conditions. Now there is reason to believe that acupuncture might actually reduce hay fever, giving you a leg up on your allergy symptoms once and for all.
Acupuncture and Allergy Treatment
One study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine evaluated the effect of acupuncture on a large sample of participants who struggled with intense allergy symptoms. Over the course of eight weeks, some participants received regular acupuncture treatments, while others received either a placebo or no acupuncture treatment at all.
At the conclusion of the study it was found that those who received acupuncture treatments experienced the greatest relief from their symptoms. All participants were given access to antihistamine medication to take as needed, and those who received acupuncture treatment needed to turn to the medication less frequently than those who received no treatment or a placebo.
However, acupuncture didn’t eliminate the allergy problems for good. After another eight weeks of no treatment, the allergy symptoms returned. Acupuncture was only effective at reducing the allergy symptoms temporarily. For full relief, treatment with acupuncture would have to be continued.
Acupuncture is not as effective a form of allergy treatment as other forms of therapy like allergy drops, but there is evidence that acupuncture can greatly reduce your experience with allergies—especially while the treatment sessions are continued.
