Acupuncture is one of a range of natural therapies that are increasingly being used for the treatment of illness and disease, including catarrh. Patients are increasingly looking for a non-medical alternative that does not involve the side effects or invasive surgery that conventional medicine typically involves.
What is Catarrh?
Catarrh is the term used to describe the production and secretion of excess mucus in the airways of the body – most commonly in the nose, ears and chest. It is a sign that the body is fighting infection, and it is designed to maintain the moisture levels of your internal membranes; while flushing out the source of infection. Typical symptoms include a stuffy, runny nose, headache, coughing and fatigue; amongst others.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an element of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the ancient healing tradition of that country. It involves the insertion of specially designed microscopic needles into specific points in the skin – points which correspond to the TCM energy meridians which run through your body. These meridians carry our life force or qi, with any illness or symptom a sign that there is an imbalance in the patient’s life force. Acupuncture is designed to restore and boost this balance, and more importantly to deal with the underlying cause of the disease rather than just the symptoms.
Acupuncture Safety
Many people who have never experienced acupuncture are understandably worried about the needles. These are very fine, with most people only feeling the slightest intrusion when they are inserted. Each needle is individually packaged and they are strictly single use, after which they are safely disposed of.
Acupuncture for Catarrh
An acupuncturist will typically make a diagnosis after assessing your general health and symptoms; which may include a physical examination of your tongue and your pulse. Once the diagnosis has been made a specific course of treatment for your catarrh will be made. Acupuncture needles can be left in from as little as a few seconds to 45 minutes, and will depend on what treatment option the acupuncturist has decided on. Acupuncture is aimed at improving the overall health of an individual - and in the case of catarrh will attempt to relive the symptoms associated with this condition. Acupuncture has proved very successful in treating headaches, one of the most common effects associated with a cold and catarrh.
Find out about other effective natural catarrh treatments.
Originally published on Sep 24, 2010
