Mind-Body Therapies: Promising Natural Approaches

Natural Allergy Cures


In the final part of alternative therapy cures, we look at some therapies that soothes the mind as well as the body.

Mind-Body Therapies

Stress is definitely a fun-killer, especially for people suffering from allergies and asthma. Stress acts as a double poison as it places our body in a state of alarm, - the so-called fight-or-flight response; it also increases production of the allergy anti-body immunoglobulin E (IgE), which results in increased sneezing and wheezing. In extreme cases, the stress can even increase a patient's chance to the most dangerous form of asthma: status asthmaticus.

Some conventional allergists believe reducing stress will be a form of natural allergy cure and asthma relief; interests in mind-body therapies have increased as a result.

In alternative practices, the following mind-body therapies play a central role in allergy treatment.
- Acupressure
- Acupuncture
- Breathing exercises
- Chiropractic
- Guided visualization
- Hypnotherapy
- Massage
- Meditation
- Osteopathy
- Reflexology
- Yoga

These therapies yield various results. Small-scale studies suggest modest benefits from acupuncture, breathing exercises, guided visualization, hypnosis, and massages. Some therapies, for example acupuncture for children with asthma, have shown short-term improvements only, while other therapies, such as a comprehensive yoga program for adolescents with asthma, appear to have more far-reaching and long-lasting effects. And then there are some therapies, such as chiropractic for children with asthma, that yield results that showed no improvements.

One would figure that standard stress-management therapies would be helpful since stress has been shown to exacerbate allergies and asthma. However researchers in were unable to find any group benefits from hypnosis or massage in the treatment of asthma. When they measured airflow within the patients, they found no objective difference between those who received mind-body therapies and those that did not.

However, some doctors believe that on an individual level mind-body therapies can make an effective difference.

The greatest potential of such therapies is on a psychological level. Because they make the patients relax and feel good, these therapies encourage patients to take better care of themselves using other methods as well. For some patients, that might mean better compliance with a conventional asthma regimen. Other times the patients might adopt a leaner diet or a meaner exercise program. No matter how they take charge of their allergies, the simple fact that they've chosen to do so is empowering.

The more patients become involved and the more self-care they practice, the better they do. How much of that is compliance and how much is in the mind is hard to define. Therefore for complete natural allergy cure and relief, what the mind experiences is just as important as what body experiences.


Natural Allergy Cures




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