Allergies, Stress, and Breathing Easy

Approximately half of all Americans are bothered by at least occasional allergies. Some suffer so much that allergies seem to control their lives. Most people believe that the only action to take with allergies is reaction - i.e. to treat the symptoms - either with over the counter or prescription medications. Unfortunately, neither alternative eliminates the allergy, but rather, just temporarily reduces the symptoms. Often, there are undesirable side effects to the medication.

Just imagine how life would be without allergies. It is often possible to eliminate allergies through various holistic, drug free, non-medical processes based on the energy balancing principles of ancient Chinese Medicine. For over 5000 years, the Chinese have believed that the cause of all chronic ailments can be traced to a disruption in the body’s energy system. Just as the proper flow of blood throughout the body is essential to our health, so is the proper flow of energy, or “Chi.”

Immunologist, Judith Swack, Ph.D. explains that the function of the immune system is to fight pathogens, or disease-causing organisms. An allergic reaction is like a phobic response of the immune system because it mistakenly overreacts to something that is not a pathogen.

This type of response is most likely to occur when the immune system is compromised. Any kind of physical or emotional trauma can create this compromise and disrupt the flow of Chi. Swack explains that when someone undergoes a trauma, or is in a period of significant life stress, there is a significant drop in their immune capacity, rendering the person susceptible to a multitude of diseases. If this trauma is accompanied by a heavy exposure to something different in the environment (the blossoming of ragweed, for instance), the immune system can easily overreact.

It seems that the systemic shock that a trauma creates directly triggers, or turns on, mast cells, causing them to degranulate, producing allergic symptoms. Thereafter, the substance (e.g. ragweed) acts as a shock trigger and causes allergic symptoms without the original trauma, via conditioned response. In other words, the immune system, in sensing ragweed in the environment, thinks it is being attacked and goes into a histamine response to try to ward off the perceived attacker. Of course, ragweed is not really a pathogen, and the “attack” is only perceived, not real – a misunderstanding of the immune system.

A client recently came to my office for treatment of a cat allergy. Her experience was a perfect illustration of Swack’s theory. “Cindy” stated that she had always had cats growing up, and loved them dearly. Then, all of a sudden, while in high school, she became allergic to cats. Through the use of applied kinesiology, we muscle tested to learn the details of the story that her body had to tell about this allergy:

At age 16, Cindy’s first boyfriend broke up with her and she was distraught. This was the trauma that depleted her immune function. She retreated to her bedroom and cuddled with her cat for comfort, rarely going out of the room for several days, crying, and burying her head in the cat’s fur. This heavier than usual exposure to cat hair and dander, coupled with her depleted immune system, caused the mistaken reaction we call an allergy. From that point forward, she was allergic to cats. Often the source is not so obvious as in this example, and identifying a precipitating even is not necessary for successful treatment.

This allergic reaction was quickly eliminated by use of a combination of techniques including Accupressure and Neuro-Linguistic Programming/Time Line Therapy.? The allergy that had plagued her for years was eliminated in less than thirty minutes. Various energy modalities can also be used. I usually test the person using applied kinesiology (muscle testing) to determine the best intervention for them. I am seeing this kind of successful result with almost everyone I treat. The results are usually permanent, (unless the person is retraumatized), and very exciting.

I have also been using these methods with people who have multiple chemical sensitivities or environmental illness, food allergies, and other immune compromised situations. These can be much more complex problems, but the basic principles still apply. Through a holistic approach to mind/body integration and stress reduction, we can assist our bodies in the healing process.