Thursday, September 3, 2009

Acupunture for Allergies

Tired of over-the-counter drugs and passive advice from doctors, I tried acupuncture Tuesday afternoon.

When I arrived in the beautiful office, complete with moody lighting and music, I knew I was in the right place. The hour-long appointment (I was late) started with a health interview about my skin, sleep habits, and diet.

I told her that my skin was dry, my sleep was good, and my diet included morning donuts and sweetened tea. Right away, she told me that sweets, including raw carrots, create mucus buildup. Better choices would include spicy items that would clear out my sinuses.

Later, she took my organ pulse and taught me to apply Roman chamomile to my face.

"Have you been feeling angry lately?" she asked. "Or unable to express some kind of grief."

Her reasons were that my lung and liver pulses were lagging. Because the lungs govern grief and the liver responds to anger, she suggested that my allergies have other triggers besides ragweed and mold. In addition, fall and spring -- prime times for seasonal allergies -- are transitional times when people have "one foot in and one foot out" of their lives.

Finally, she inserted several tiny needles in into my feet, hands, belly, and face. When she got to the area around my eyes, I started to cry. She left me alone for a few minutes, and I remembered all the angry I've felt over my summer guests, the neighbor's roaches.

At the end of the appointment, she put peppermint oil drops in my hand, asked me to rub my hands together, and breath into the cup of my hands. I cleared up immediately.

I left with a sticky-note prescription that included her recommended oils.

Today, I woke up feeling amazing. Instead of taking a pill, she gave me things to do, something my doctor left alone.

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