How Acupuncture Can Treat Your Sinus Allergies

Sinus allergies are most often caused by an environmental allergen such as pollen, mold, or dust mites. This makes it nearly impossible to avoid the allergen and the subsequent symptoms.

When allergy medications fail to relieve your sinus allergies symptoms, you may be searching for an alternative option. Well, you’re not alone. Many people are turning to acupuncture as a treatment option for sinus allergies. 

At Legacy Pain and Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Trace Alexander is a certified acupuncturist and uses the alternative therapy to treat a wide range of health needs, including sinus allergies. 

How can acupuncture treat your sinus allergies? Let’s take a look. 

About sinus allergies

Sinus allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, are an allergic reaction that affects the tissue lining your sinus cavity. Normally, this space is hollow, lined with mucosal tissue that moistens the air you breathe in and traps germs before the air goes into your lungs.

With sinus allergies, the allergens cause inflammation and swelling of the mucosal tissue, making it hard to breathe through your nose. The allergic reaction also triggers an increase in mucus production, which may cause a runny nose or postnasal drip.

Treatment for sinus allergies usually includes antihistamines to ease the allergic reaction and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. However, if these medical treatments fail to ease your sinus allergy symptoms, acupuncture may be a treatment to consider. 

Acupuncture basics 

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We use very fine needles placed in specific points in your body to restore the flow of qi, which in ancient Chinese medicine refers to your life force.

Research indicates that acupuncture stimulates your central nervous system. Inserting the needles into specific points in your body activates the release of your body’s natural painkillers and chemicals that give you a general sense of well-being. 

Though most people turn to acupuncture when looking for alternative therapies for pain management, the ancient medical practice also benefis other health conditions like sinus allergies. 

Acupuncture for sinus allergies

So, how can acupuncture treat sinus allergies? We place the needles in your sphenopalatine ganglion acupoint. The sphenopalatine is a group of nerve cells located behind your nose that carries sensory information from your nose, mouth, and throat. 

These nerves are also autonomic nerves, which are nerves that control functions you don’t think about, like breathing. In addition to sensations, your sphenopalatine ganglion plays a role in controlling nasal congestion. 

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the September 2020 issue of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, acupuncture provides significant relief from sinus allergy symptoms in people who fail to respond to traditional treatment.

Acupuncture for sinus allergies is safe and effective, especially for those who continue to suffer from their symptoms while taking allergy medications and people who can’t tolerate the side effects from allergy medications.

In addition to your sinus problems, acupuncture may boost your energy and mood and give you a general sense of well-being. Let us help you breathe easy with our acupuncture treatment.

Make an appointment today by calling the office most convenient to you — in Plano or Addison, Texas — or clicking the “book online” button.