We’ve probably all heard motherly advice at some point reminding us to bundle up in cold weather, so we don’t “catch a cold”, or hear grandpa accurately predict a storm when his hip starts aching. Or how about getting a case of the winter weather blues? Even in the western world, we recognize a relationship with nature in terms of environmental conditions. Changes in temperature, sunlight, barometric pressure, and humidity all play a role in this relationship.

When it comes to the weather and our health, many in the west automatically think of how season changes and extreme weather can aggravate symptoms of asthma and allergies, but weather-related health concerns go far beyond seasonal allergies and asthma.  Changes in barometric pressure can affect joints (like Grandpa’s hip), and cause headaches.

Headaches can also be caused by heat and dehydration, so summer adventurers beware (bring lots of water!). High humidity can intensify heat too as it limits our ability to cool down through sweating, potentially leading to hyperthermia and heatstroke.

Cold weather can tighten muscles causing body pain. It also constricts blood vessels leading to an increase in blood pressure and increased risks of heart attack and stroke. While blood pressure tends to be higher in the winter, any temperature extreme, hot, or cold, can affect heart function.

Sunlight is another aspect of weather that has a lot of influence on our health. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is often associated with the colder, darker fall and winter months. The reduced sunlight alters our melatonin and serotonin levels, potentially leaving us with disruptions in sleep and mood.

Ancient Chinese Medical texts describe a similar relationship between humans and their environment, though the wording and understanding of the nature of the environmental conditions differ slightly.

In TCM there are 5 main “climates” or environmental influences related to our health.

These are: COLD, HEAT, WIND, DAMP, DRYNESS

(Summer heat, associated with late summer, is considered a 6th climate)

These potential causes of illness described in Chinese Medicine sound like weather patterns themselves and are considered external influences in origin but can penetrate to have effects on the body and create what we can think of as internal weather. We can also be more prone to their influence based on our constitution and lifestyle, (and can even manifest these ‘climates’ internally without external exposure).

Any extremes with these various conditions can allow pathogens to enter, if our self-protective energy and efforts are weak, and leave us vulnerable to infections, such as with colds/flu.

They can also go deeper in the body to directly affect the organs, with symptoms presenting throughout the body in the respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, nervous, musculoskeletal systems, and skin.

Wind is understood as the biggest troublemaker as it often combines with other influences to wreak havoc in the body. It can affect the joints, bring on skin rashes, or cause a spell of dizziness, among other issues. Cold can kill the digestive fire; combine that with a damp invasion and you can experience bloating and/or nausea. Heat and dryness, on the other hand, can injure the blood and yin fluids of the body causing symptoms such as fever, restlessness, scanty painful urination, brittle hair, and excessive thirst.

Chinese medicine takes a more preventative approach to these issues by addressing imbalances before they express more severe symptoms. There is also a focus on the integrity of the defensive energy of the body as well as the body’s ability to handle transitions with stability. Knowing our bodies will be continuously exposed to the challenge of seasonal weather changes and potential extremes of climate conditions, we can prepare accordingly.

Don’t wait for an internal weather emergency to call for an appointment, get in asap to strengthen your resilience to external weather conditions, balance out your internal climates and assist you in transitioning season to season with ease and well-being!

A resource to expand on climates: https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/six-climatic-factors

Fact: Did you know that you will take about 20,000 breaths today? Let’s take a big one now…Aaah, that’s better.

Now imagine having to take all of those breaths as someone with asthma, wheezing, feeling like you can’t fully inhale. That’s the case for approximately 1 in 13 people in the United States who have asthma. Maybe you’re one of those people suffering!

Do you suffer from allergies or asthma? If so, you aren’t alone. It’s estimated that more than 26 million Americans have chronic inflammatory disease asthma, while more than 50 million Americans have nasal allergies. While most people resort to harsh prescription drugs to treat these conditions with awful side effects, a safer and more effective solution lies in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture.

Some people might turn their head at the thought of treating asthma by placing small needles under your skin. However, this ancient practice is believed to be effective in the treatment of numerous respiratory disorders.

Several studies over the past decade have shown that when patients with asthma receive regular acupuncture treatments, they have fewer asthma attacks and less labored breathing. Some studies show an even more significant improvement when acupuncture treatments are combined with Western medical treatment, as acupuncture is an incredibly safe, natural, and effective complementary treatment.

A study conducted by the University Medical Center in Berlin (→ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23420231/) explored the efficacy of acupuncture as a treatment for seasonal allergic rhinitis (seasonal allergies). Over 400 patients were divided into three groups. The first received proper and regular acupuncture treatments, the second received a similar treatment however the acupuncture needles were not placed in proper acupoints, while the third group was only allowed to take antihistamines. This study was able to conclude that the group receiving proper and regular acupuncture treatments reported the greatest relief from symptoms as compared to the other two groups.

Other studies (such as → https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22313287/) have looked into acupuncture for the treatment of eczema. Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is an itchy rash that can be caused by common irritants. Though this study came to the conclusion that acupuncture did not work well to prevent eczema, it did however significantly reduce itchiness and pain in many patients who were experiencing outbreaks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) even lists asthma as being “a condition for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that acupuncture will cure your asthma, but it can help alleviate the symptoms and reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

Acupuncture involves the placement of fine needles in specific points of the body, known as acupuncture points. The idea behind this practice is that placing the needles in these areas will restore the body’s flow of energy (Qi). When Qi becomes stagnant, it leaves the individual susceptible to disease and illness, which is why it’s important to keep it moving throughout the body. Professional acupuncturists often treat asthma by using acupuncture points found in the Lung, Stomach, and Kidney meridians.

Acupuncture may also help those who suffer from allergies. Allergies are the result of the immune system’s wrongful identification of what it believes to be a foreign invader. When you are exposed to an allergen, your immune system may view the substance or pathogen as being a foreign invader, at which point it responds by manifesting symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, etc.

By restoring the body’s Qi, the immune system is given a helpful boost of energy that allows it to properly identify what’s a foreign invader and what’s not. Whether your allergies are minor or severe, you should consider seeking the services of an acupuncturist. It’s a safe and painless process that can reinvigorate your body and mind, alleviating the symptoms of both allergies and asthma. A study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found acupuncture to offer greater relief of allergies when compared to both antihistamines and sham acupuncture.

If you are tired of living with Allergies or Asthma, call us today so we can help you be able to breathe better.

Millions of people (as many as 50 million per year) suffer from recurring allergy symptoms. The causes of allergies are as many as the people who suffer from them. The severity of an individual’s reaction to a given allergy can vary greatly from one person to another and one allergic event to the next. Allergies range in severity from minor to mild, to irritating to severe, and some allergies can even be deadly.

The most common, most problematic allergic sensitivity is Hay Fever or allergic rhinitis. Many people miss work and other important activities on a seasonal basis when severe Hay Fever symptoms are not controlled.

For these reasons, many people seek relief from allergies, and fortunately, there are many healthcare options available for those who are looking for better ways to treat their allergies. One of the most promising, and often overlooked treatments can be acupuncture.

The Effect of Acupuncture on Allergies

While medication can reduce inflammation and suppress other symptoms of allergies, medications almost always come with undesirable side effects. Few medications can resolve the underlying problem that makes a given person allergic to a given substance. Conversely, acupuncture has been used for a number of years now by a wide range of practitioners to successfully relieve allergy symptoms.

Acupuncture is an ancient practice developed in mainland China. It has been used for a wide variety of conditions. Since becoming popular in the West, it has been frequently used as a complement to western medicinal options. Acupuncture helps to correct functional imbalances and restore the flow of your body’s innate energies, thus returning you to a more natural state of well-being. And hopefully allergy-free!

Acupuncture, and Its Effect on Allergic Rhinitis

This study took aim at the most troublesome of all allergies, allergic rhinitis. It corroborates the reports by patients and practitioners that acupuncture is an effective way to treat allergies.

The study looked at 422 patients who tested positive for pollen allergies and presented with allergic nasal symptoms. The researchers randomly assigned participants to three different groups. One group was given 12 acupuncture treatments and took antihistamines as they normally would. The next group took 12 sham acupuncture treatments and antihistamines as they would normally do to combat symptoms. The third group took only antihistamines with no acupuncture treatments.

The research team found that those who received both real acupuncture and antihistamines reported the largest decrease in symptoms. They also reported using antihistamines less frequently than the other two groups.

While this study was limited to one allergy, it is promising that others, if not all chronic allergies, can be successfully treated through the regular use of acupuncture.

If you or someone you know suffers from allergies, give us a call, maybe acupuncture can help.

With the worry about the Coronavirus, it’s important to know what the symptoms are. Below is a list of what the symptoms for the Coronavirus, Flu, and Allergies are:

Coronavirus: The Coronavirus will start showing symptoms between 2-14 days after exposer to the virus. Fever, Cough and a Shortness of Breath or difficulty breathing.

Flu:
The Flu’s symptoms have a few things in common, but different in several ways. The Flu can be identified by the following symptoms: fever, cough, muscle aches, fatigue, weakness, congestion, and sore throat.

Allergies: Allergies symptoms are a bit different than the rest, yet people are confusing allergies for the Flue or Coronavirus. Sneezing, itchy nose, eyes or roof of the mouth, runny nose, watery red or swollen eyes.

It’s important to know what you have don’t self-diagnosis it. It is better to be safe and go see a doctor and let them do the diagnosis. Remember it is important to be safe and being smart about your safety.

With winter changing into spring, most people are excited for the warmer weather to return. But it also means a time when people tend to get sick or seasonal allergies to start flaring up. This can make things miserable for a lot of people. As the weather fluctuates between freezing cold and warmer, sunnier days, it also wreaks havoc on our immune system and our sleep. Frequently, our bodies can’t keep up with the constant changes and we get physically run down. But there are some things everybody can do to help during the time of transition from one season to the next.

One of the most common things we hear during this transition time is to stay warm.  This may seem like common sense, but so many people who are sun worshippers just waiting for the warmer days to return, forget this bit of advice as soon as the days start to warm a little. By wearing less clothing or clothing that is not as heavy and warm, we make ourselves susceptible to illness. Even if it’s warm out, you still need to dress appropriately. Save the shorts for a little later in the season.

Another way to stay healthy during the changing seasons is to make sure that you’re getting enough sleep. This is another commonsense statement, but with longer hours of daylight, many people’s sleep cycles become disrupted. This can cause the immune system to become compromised, making it easier to get sick or for seasonal allergies to flare up.

A study from the National Institute of Health showed that dry winter air allows cold and flu viruses to survive longer and transmit more easily once everything starts to warm up.  With this being said, hydration is important. If dry air makes it more convenient for germs to remain dormant, then flushing them out by keeping your body hydrated is a great way to avoid an infection.

Eating according to the seasons is very important too. As the weather gets warmer, most people gravitate towards healthier food options in an effort to lose some of the winter weight. For spring, eating lighter, more natural foods will actually give the liver a chance to repair itself and that alone can help us feel more energetic and improve our clarity of thought. The immune system also functions better when excess sugar and dairy are removed.

Acupuncture is another great tool that can help make the transition from winter to spring easier. Acupuncture can balance the body as it reacts to the changes in the weather and activity levels. Regular acupuncture treatments have also been shown to boost immunity. Spring can also cause flare-ups associated with seasonal allergies and acupuncture treatments can help with the inflammation, sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes that accompany the allergic reactions.

By using the recommendations mentioned here, you can have a fun and enjoyable spring!

The American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy published a research paper in 2015, the research found that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is also known as hay fever. The researchers compiled the results from 13 quality studies, which followed 2,365 participants. The various studies confirmed that acupuncture significantly lowers the antibody known as immunoglobulin E or IgE. IgE is the antibody associated with allergies and hypersensitivities. The researchers found not only was the IgE antibody lowered but so too were the symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis. Additionally, the participants reported better quality of life.

People are always looking for a solution to help with their allergies, most people go for the over-the-counter (one-size-fits-all) or they see their doctor and usually will get the same thing or Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can offer a solution to seasonal allergies that is all natural and will save you money.

TCM uses an elemental system to determine where there are excesses and deficiencies in each person, allowing the treatments to be completely customized to each patient. The unique treatment plans not only make them more effective than one-size-fits-all, over-the-counter medications, they also address imbalances in each person that would not necessarily be connected to an aggravation of allergies in Western medical thought.

When using TCM to treat allergies, practitioners focus heavily on something called Wei Qi. Wei Qi is similar to the immune system in Western medicine. Wei Qi protects the body against foreign materials that can lead to inflammation and eventually allergies. People with lower immunity or Wei Qi are more susceptible to allergies and frequent colds. Acupuncture helps to boost the Wei Qi making it more difficult for allergens to attack the body.

Acupuncture by itself will make a difference in fighting allergies, but adding herbs and herbal formulas will provide the final punch to help eliminate allergies for good. Because each patient has different causes for their allergies, adding herbal formulas can greatly increase the efficacy of the acupuncture treatments by extending the effect of the needles. For example, if a patient specifically gets itchy, watery eyes when their allergies flare up, then the practitioner would likely want to draw the excess energy down. In this particular case, the patient would have an excess of fire-creating wind. The practitioner would use acupuncture points known to decrease fire and wind in the body. Then, adding herbs that do the same thing would create a one-two punch type of treatment that has long-lasting, more permanent effects.

Ultimately, acupuncture boosts the Wei Qi while decreasing the inflammatory response in your body that occurs when an allergen is encountered. The other aspect of treatment, as stated earlier, is to look at the patient as a whole versus just the symptoms, perhaps bringing other elements into balance that you might not think would have an effect on allergies. A good acupuncturist will focus on dietary habits that may be contributing. Many times a person’s Wei Qi is depleted from within due to the foods they are eating. Foods like sugar and dairy are often associated with a lower immune system. Eliminating or drastically reducing these items will allow the body to recover more quickly, making allergy attacks easier to resolve.
Here at Master Lu’s Health Center, we can help you create a plan that includes acupuncture treatments, herbs, and dietary changes will yield the best results when it comes to fighting allergies. If you or someone you know struggles with allergies, now is the time to learn how to deal with them once and for all. Call now or come in to learn how you or your loved one can live allergy free.

In the United States, Allergies, seasonal or otherwise, is one of the biggest health issues people deal with. Unfortunately, every year the number of people afflicted by allergies goes up. According to Quest Diagnostics, who released a study in 2011 found that in a four-year period that common allergies were on a rise by 5.8 percent. The cause of this is due in part of how are agricultural practices have changed, plus the GMO’s out there have increased our allergic reaction and to be fair GMO has also made it safe for some people to eat foods they weren’t able to before. One thing that can also cause this is our lifestyle, we humans are become more sedentary, our bodies immune system is changing. With the increase of using Antibiotics in both our livestock and in ourselves our immune systems are being compromised and in turn making it harder to fight off common allergies. With all the attacks to our immune system we experience every day, our immune system is being pushed to the limit.

With everything that is pushing our immune system, how can we combat allergies (both seasonal and non-seasonal) without feeling the side-effects of Biomedicine? Well, there is! Acupuncture has been shown to help reduce allergies, with no bad side-effects. Master Lu’s Health Center in Salt Lake City has been treating allergies for more then forty years

Americans spend an amazing $18 billion dollars a year on treating Allergies (this includes OTC’s, prescriptions, visiting doctor offices). Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (including Acupuncture, herbal medicine) offers a permanent solution to seasonal allergies and relief from everyday allergies with an all-natural approach that will save you money. TCM attacks allergies in a much differently than Western medicine, there is a good chance your allergies will cease to be a problem. Western medicine can tell you how allergies work and how the body reacts to allergies, but there is still no explanation as to why. TCM doesn’t need to know the how and why because it looks at the differently, it looks at the body as a whole and uses an elemental system to determine where there are excesses and deficiencies in each person. TCM treatments are customized to each patient, thus making them much more effective than one-size-fits-all over-the-counter medications or prescription medicine.

When using TCM to treat allergies, practitioners focus heavily on something called Wei Qi. Wei Qi is similar to the immune system in Western medicine. Wei Qi protects the body against foreign materials that can lead to inflammation and eventually allergies. People with lower immunity/Wei Qi are more susceptible to allergies and frequent colds. Acupuncture helps to boost the Wei Qi making it more difficult for allergens to attack the body. This is one of the best reasons to get regular acupuncture treatments if you suffer from allergies of any kind.

When energy becomes blocked due to inflammation caused by allergies, symptoms will flare back up. Acupuncture helps re-establish the flow of energy throughout the body. This will help to alleviate allergy symptoms. Many people who receive acupuncture treatments report they notice changes immediately. And over time, this will help to bring the body back into balance permanently.

Acupuncture has been shown to decrease heat associated with allergies. This can manifest as a sore throat, swollen sinuses and red eyes. There are specific acupressure points on the body that can almost instantaneously relieve these symptoms.

Many allergy sufferers also report pain in various areas of the body, especially the eyes and head. Relieving pain is what acupuncture is most frequently used for and it is also what most scientific studies focus on. The pain associated with allergies can prevent people from enjoying life. But regular acupuncture treatments can help resolve that and allow people to be more active and happy.

Probably the biggest reason to seek out acupuncture for the treatment of allergies is the amount of money a person will save. People spend over $18 billion per year on over-the-counter allergy medications, most of which only give minimal relief and have side effects like drowsiness and immune system suppression. TCM can provide relief without adverse side effects and for a lot less money overall.

If you or someone you know is suffering from Allergies and has tried everything the doctor has recommend, come in or call us here at Master Lu’s Health Center and see what life could be like without allergies.