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Acupuncture Provides an Antidote for Allergies

The first time someone told Christy to try acupuncture she thought, “that’s a load of crap.” A corporate immigration lawyer in San Francisco, Christy was struggling with allergy flare-ups including hive outbreaks, seasonal hay fever, and skin that felt like it was on fire.

“As a partner in a corporate law firm, I am responsible for a lot of people, and always strive to do the best for my clients. Unfortunately, that means I don’t always take the best care of myself,” she reflects.

Western doctors were unable to pinpoint the source of Christy’s allergies, and prescribed pharmaceutical medication. While drugs knocked out the hive symptoms, they also brought unwanted side effects. Christy often felt sleepy. She stayed on the medication for a few years, but the outbreaks returned. Allergists did more tests and prescribed more medicine, and that’s when Christy decided to try another approach.

“I wanted to understand what was causing my flare-ups, not just mask the pain with drugs,” says Christy.

After trying a few different acupuncturists, Christy came to East West Health Services at Chinese Hospital in 2014, and began working with Sabine Huey, L.Ac. Today, she not only has her allergies under control without medication, but she also feels better than ever.

“Sabine and all the providers at East West don’t just do treatments; they help you understand what is happening inside your body, and how to feel your best,” says Christy.

Sabine has helped Christy learn what triggers her allergies and her underlying stress. She now understands the impact that different foods, temperatures, and stressors have on her symptoms. This has given her more control to manage her own health.

“Sabine knows me in a way that I don’t even know myself. There are times when I don’t think I’m stressed, but my body says something else. She asks the right questions to assess what I need. I always trust her to get my body leveled out,” says Christy.

Beyond stress and allergy management—Christy has been hive-free for years—acupuncture has helped this busy lawyer relieve aches and pains, regulate her menstrual cycle off birth control, and prepare her body to start a family.

“I am not the most health-conscious person. I don’t consider myself a free-spirited, highly open-minded individual. But acupuncture is my commitment to myself every week. It helps me be more mindful. And it has changed my life!”

Christy Nguyen