A Different Type of Needle for Allergy Relief

http://www.kark.com/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=7637

( Air Date: 9/28/2006 )
Traditional medicine doesn`t always embrace alternative approaches to symptom relief.But now, it looks like some medical doctors think acupuncture is a great way to treat allergies.Whether you`re allergic to animals, trees or grass, allergy symptoms can be miserable."The sneezing, the itchy eyes, not being able to wake up in the mornings, that type of thing," said Melony Melrose.Melody suffered for years with allergies until she finally got tested. She`s allergic to eggs, chicken and especially sensitive to dust mites. Her doctor, martha grout, md treats melody`s allergies with acupuncture."Acupuncture I use a lot for acute problems. It`s very good for both acute and chronic problems," said Dr. Grout.Research suggests that acupunture, when used in conjunction with traditional medicine, can be beneficial for the allergies that ail you."If you wanna actually change your immune response so that you don`t have to take medication for the rest of your life, then acupuncture, allergy testing, immunotherapy, all is very important and works really well," said Dr. Grout.Depending on the type of allergies you have, the doctor will apply the acupuncture needles to specific areas of your body. In these areas are meridians or energy channels that connect to the source of the problem."If I had an eye infection, for instance, I would use a specific point on the foot to treat that eye infection," Dr. Grout continued.For information on medical uses of acupuncture: American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, www.medicalacupuncture.org National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture For Acupuncturists in Arkansas: www.holisticarkansas.com/search.php