Chinese Medicine - Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases

A weakened and out of balanced Qi (pronounceddisease, we not only strive to provide relief from
"Chee") plays an important role in thethe main symptoms, but also to treat what we
development of allergies and autoimmunebelieved to be the root cause of the disease; a
diseases.weak and damaged Qi.
Autoimmune diseases are simply allergies againstOften it is a Qi deficiency complicated by either Qi
one-self. Examples of these diseases includestagnation, a major imbalance between the
rheumatoid arthritis (RA), dermatomyositisenergies of the internal organs, or a combination
polymyositis, systemic lupus erythmatosus (SLE),of all three that creates the disease. Patients with
multiple sclerosis (MS), scleroderma, myastheniaautoimmune diseases often have a long history of
gravis, Sjögren's syndrome, Crohn's disease,allergies, and they often present complicated
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (a type of hypothyroidism),patterns, which cause their treatment to be long
endometriosis (due to autoimmune ovaritis),drawn.
chronic fatigue immune deficiency syndromeIn order to improve their Qi, the patient must be
(CFIDS) and fibromyalgia.willing to make changes to their lifestyle such as:
A common complain of Qi deficiency is fatigue,reduced stress levels, make dietary changes, and
and most of these autoimmune diseases presentlearn relaxation techniques. In the Chinese Medicine
fatigue as one of their main symptoms. Anothertradition, we use acupuncture to bring the
common symptom is depression, whether theperson's body systems back into balance, relieve
weakened Qi causes the depression, orstress and pain. And herbal supplements are used
vise-versa is up for debate, but the existence ofto nourish the organs that need it, and to extend
depression is a fact.the effects of the acupuncture treatments.
Qi depression and Qi stagnation cause imbalancesWe also provide dietary advice that is suited to
between the energies of the organs, whichthe individuals needs. In our modern world with
manifest itself in specific symptoms such as pain,our hurried life styles, the poor choice of foods
inflammation, irritation, vomiting, diarrhea andwe eat, and the high levels of stress we endure,
migraines to name a few.allergies and autoimmune have become all too
If the depression, stagnation, and imbalance of Qiprevalent.
is prolonged the symptoms become more severe.But these diseases do not have to rule our lives;
Symptoms such as: loss of sensation on thewe can avoid them, or bring them under control
extremities, loss of muscle control, paralysis,by making a few changes to our lifestyle. We
changes on the anatomy and structure of theneed to watch what we eat, supplement our diet,
bones, blindness and deafness, and extreme pain.and reduce our levels of stress. All that together
The treatment of allergies and autoimmunewith Chinese Medicine, makes these autoimmune
diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicinediseases more manageable.
In Chinese medicine, when we treat this type of