Acupuncture & Hayfever: A Chinese Medicine Explanation
In Chinese Medicine, Spring is the season of the Wood element and the Liver organ system. Both Spring and the Wood element are associated with rejuvenation and new growth. Just as you can see new growth appearing on trees and plants after going into a dormant state over winter, this is also a time for us to start getting back out into the world after hibernating through the cold months. It is therefore a great time to “spring clean” in your life, and get rid of the old habits that haven’t been working for you, and start with new healthy ones.
The energy of the Liver is to move up and outwards. But this movement can cause some problems if there is a blockage in the way, either physical or emotional. This can lead to emotional outbursts, increased agitation or emotional stagnation, which can be felt as an increase in frustration or anger during this time. If you are feeling this yourself, this time can provide a good opportunity to examine what may be getting in your way to make you feel stuck, and look at ways to clear this stagnation.
Another common problem found at this time of the year is hayfever. Hayfever can arise when your immune system is a bit “under the weather”, and isn’t strong enough to fight off the attack that pollen presents. Or it can also be caused by stuck Liver energy, which causes the body to over-react when hit by pollen in the air. It is easy to tell which type you have – if your immune system is a bit weak, you will feel lethargic, foggy in the head, and have heavy, tired limbs, as well as sneezing and having a runny nose; if it is caused by an over-active Liver, you will feel agitated, especially when it is windy, you’ll have red, irritated eyes, and be itchy on the head and in the throat. Most often hayfever will be a combination of both of these presentations, but one will usually be dominant.
What does the research say about acupuncture for the relief of hayfever symptoms?
The good news is that Chinese medicine (CM) is helpful for this. CM has been treating hayfever for thousands of years, and with both acupuncture and herbal medicine, relief can be found. The most recent systematic review and meta analysis looking at all the research combined found that “acupuncture may have an advantage over no intervention and placebo acupuncture in improving nasal symptoms and quality of life for adults with allergic rhinitis. The effect of acupuncture and cetirizine or loratadine for allergic rhinitis may be similar” (He et al, 2022). As always, further studies would be needed to confirm the results, but to date, research is very supportive of acupuncture for the relief of hay fever symptoms.
If you’d like to make an acupuncture appointment, you can call the clinic on 9337 8572 or book now online.
Reference:
He M, Qin W, Qin Z, Zhao C. Acupuncture for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Med Res. 2022 Apr 25;27(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s40001-022-00682-3. PMID: 35462555; PMCID: PMC9036742.
B.C.M (Hons), C.Clin.Prac (China), C.Toyohari. Registered Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Integrative Natural Medicine Practitioner.
Robert is a passionate and warm practitioner who has an extensive knowledge of integrative and functional natural medicine. He is down to earth and has an interest in organic foods, gardening and sustainable living. With over 17 years of experience, he is renowned for being very thorough by both fellow practitioners and patients alike.