Can acupuncture beat hayfever?

Posted on 8 June, 2016

“Kal, the Director of Ki Acupuncture greets me as I run into the clinic – mildly late as per usual”

I love exercising but I adore chocolate, I own a florist but I’m allergic to flowers and I’m terrible at replying to messages but I’m always on my phone….Canberra, as you can gather – my life is full of oxymorons.

Most of you know me as the crazy flower gal that has a dream of employing thousands of people with special needs. What you probably don’t know is that since starting the florist over 2.5 years ago – I’ve suffered from almost debilitating allergies. As a child I had asthma that saw me in hospital far too many times for my mum’s liking and I singlehandedly keep Claratyne in business.

I’m deathly allergic to cats and dogs (rules out the profession of being a single cat lady) and as soon as spring hits, I go into hibernation.

About three months ago, Amanda asked whether I’d road test Ki Acupuncture and take part in their hay fever challenge.

I’ll be completely honest – Amanda could have told me that I needed to jump off a cliff to manage my hay fever and I would have probably listened. I was desperate. I sneezed about 10 times in a row, my eyes constantly felt like sandpaper and let’s not discuss the irritating, itchy nose.

Without knowing anything about acupuncture – I jumped at the opportunity. Lucky for me, there were no cliffs involved – just needles, relaxing music and a whole lot of relief.

Located in the city, I went to my first appointment a little apprehensive

For those playing at home, Acupuncture involves the insertion of ultra fine, single-use disposable needles into specific sites on the body. They send signals to the brain, which in turn effects a change in the body.

Kal, the Director of Ki Acupuncture greets me as I run into the clinic – mildly late as per usual. I fill a quick survey about how deathly my allergies really are and then he calmly talks me through the treatment. After he’s answered my 16 million questions, I lay down and let him do his thing.

I won’t lie – the experience of having needles on my face (not to mention the side of my nose) was a little weird. But the pure desperation not to suffer for the rest of my life was so strong that I was ready to try anything. I was completely surprised at the lack of pain that comes with Acupuncture. With a pain tolerance of a small child, I was mentally preparing myself for weeks of torture – but it was quite the opposite. The whole experience of having needles inserted all over my body was weirdly relaxing and soothing.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here – but do you ever get through your day and think to yourself; “Wow, I seriously haven’t stopped for even a second to scratch myself?!”

Twice a week, I’d run off to the clinic and have an hour away from my phone, emails, staff and people. I’d lay in pure serenity and just relax. It was wonderful – and the best part? While I lay there and took an hour to feel human again, I was helping something in my life that I’ve ignored for so many years.

After a few treatments, I met Rahni, another awesome Acupuncturist in Kal’s team. As I got to know Rahni and Kal over my treatments, I decided I wanted to be like them. Their calm, understanding and ever so balanced perspectives of the world and their client’s health is both refreshing and soothing. I loved getting to know them and whining to them about my ailment of the day.

Something that sets Ki Acupuncture apart is that they treat you and your body as a whole

They believe in helping their patient’s lead full, demanding and productive lives. In one of my treatments, I came into the clinic basically crawling. I mentioned to Rahni that I’ve been suffering from a 70% loss in flexibility through my hamstrings and basically, even walking feels like my legs are going to fall off.

I told her that because my hamstrings were tight, it was puling on my knees, calves, achilles and the balls of my feet. Waving her magic wand with some needles, cupping and slide cupping (where you slide the cup along your skin) I’ve totally had my life changed. I can walk, run, skip and squat like a normal person and I just can’t imagine how I lived with such a loss of flexibility for so long.

To be completely honest with you, prior to Rahni working on my legs, I was a little sceptical about acupuncture. With a treatment like the hay fever challenge, you don’t see immediate results. The treatment is meant to teach the brain how to make adjustments to how your immune system over-reacts. Something like hay fever can take several treatments to notice a difference and you may have to wait for a seasonal change. However, something more muscular – like tight hamstrings and shoulders – I felt the difference almost instantly.

If Rahni hadn’t proved herself and acupuncture enough to me – I came into the clinic one day with a neck that I was convinced was going to fall off. I’d slept awkwardly on a bamboo pillow (don’t believe the infomercials!) and I was in world of agony. Rahni popped a few needles in, I felt a ‘twitch’ and that was it. All pain was gone and I could move my neck side to side and up and down – magical!

I truly believe acupuncture has changed the way I live my life. I haven’t taken a pain relief or hay fever tablets in months and I feel so much better for it. My allergies have decreased and my mobility has increased to a level I thought would never be possible.

There’s no second thought in my mind that I’ll continue to see the team at Ki Acupuncture for my allergies and mobility issues.

The verdict

Prior to treatment:

Sneezing: 10/10
Runny Nose: 7/10
Blocked Nose: 6/10
Itchy nose: 6/10
Itchy eyes: 10/10
Watery Eyes: 8/10

After treatment:

Sneezing 2/10
Runny nose 3/10
Blocked nose 0 /10
Itchy nose 2/10
Itchy eyes 0/10
Watery eyes 0/10

the essentials

What: Ki Acupuncture
Where: Ki Acupuncture, Shop 6, Ground Floor, 16 Moore Street, Canberra City
When: 7am till 7pm weekdays
Book: Call 02 61 810 710 or book online
Web: www.kiacupuncture.com.au

This is not a sponsored post. The author received the course of acupuncture treatments free of charge for review purposes. It complies with the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission’s guidelines on Online Reviews. 

The information provided in this article is provided for information purposes only. You should seek assistance from a health care professional when interpreting these materials and applying them to your individual circumstances. If you have any concerns about your health, consult your general practitioner. Information provided in this article does not imply endorsement of third-party services or products and cannot provide you with health and medical advice.

Image of woman receiving acupuncture treatment from shutterstock.com