Allergies

"Allergies" Issue / Symptom Connections

Below you will find various relationships to, and potential clinical treatment approaches for allergies.

Content Related to Allergies

It is critical to appreciate that in Chinese Medicine, treatment for "allergies" is rarely focused on the symptoms exclusively. Alternatively, a practitioner is looking at the factors that led to the development of "allergies" - i.e. the "cause(s)".

For non-practitioners, we recommend reading treating the "cause" and not the "symptoms" for more on the overall approach and the importance of the TCM diagnostic system in formulating treatment approaches.

Within TCM, "allergies" is potentially related to one or more of the following diagnostic patterns: lung wind invasion - wind cold, and/or lung wind invasion - wind heat.

The above patterns are common examples. In clinical situations, however, there are any number of other possibilities. Many times there will be a layered combination of patterns in an interwoven blend with their symptoms - some being the cause of an issue and the result of another issue. While initially complex, this is illustrative of the the web of relationships that Chinese Medicine is designed to approach.

Related Acupuncture Protocols

When developing an acupuncture protocol a practitioner is very often focusing on the causal diagnoses in Chinese Medicine terms, not on the condition itself. To illustrate and guide developing an acupuncture treatment for someone experiencing allergies, this issue is referenced in the following acupuncture protocol section:

• View EX Huatuojiaji at C3 (Sides of Spine at C3)
  
      .5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous processes of C3
  
      C3 innervates the eyes, sinuses, temporal lobe areas and and is used for a range of eye, vision and sinus issues.  In the right circumstances, combines well with Yintang and LI 4. Used extensively within the Tam Healing System and Tong Re…
• View EX Huatuojiaji at T3 (Sides of Spine at T3)
  
      .5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous processes of T3
  
      T3 innervates the lung and lymph systems and is used for a range of immune issues (with T1 and T2), including symptoms such as allergies, asthma, chest pain, cough, voice issues, lyme disease, and frequent infections.  T1, T2 and T3 are us…
• View LI 20 (Welcome Fragrance)
  
      In the nasolabial groove, level with the midpoint of the lateral border of the ala nasi.
  
      Loss of smell or taste, nasal discharge, any nose a/or sinus issues, nasal polyps, rhinitis, sinusitis, allergies. Often combined with LI 19 and other local points. Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Sinus issues, often combined with LI 17 and …
• View UB 2 (Bamboo Gathering)
  
      On the medial end of the eyebrow, directly above the inner canthus of the eye (on the supraorbital notch).
  
      Local point for sinus congestion a/or headache. Red, itchy, watery eyes - allergies. Use in facial massage for headaches with GB 20, ST 8, LI 4, and UB 60. Glaucoma, night blindness, blurry and/or weak vision. Generally, needle towards…
• View UB 3 (Eyebrow Ascension)
  
      .5 cun inside the anterior hairline, directly above UB 2, between GV 24 and UB 4.
  
      Local point for headaches, nasal obstruction. Epilepsy, agitation of the heart (possibly resulting in mania or excessive giddiness).
• View UB 4 (Deviating Turn)
  
      1.5 cun lateral to GV 24, or .5 cun inside the AHL at the junction of the medial 1/3 and lateral 2/3's distance between…
  
      Local point for headache and/or nasal issues. Headaches, particularly frontal/sinus, eye pain, vision issues (dimness, blurry). Nasal polyps, nosebleeds, allergies, rhinitis.