Acupuncture to the sinus problem rescue!
by Deirdre Verney Updated: Wednesday, 26th January, 2011 4:00pm
Did you ever get a fuzzy head feeling, sort of like walking around in a daze with a dull, annoying headache, and a real case of the sniffles and yukky phlegm? The symptoms, none of which I might add originated from any kind of overindulgence of any kind, unless you count a spillover from the Christmas period!
Well, that’s exactly what I presented to Amy Moore of Athlone Natural Health Clinic, now based every Tuesday at the popular Reflections salon at Inish House, beside Boylesports in the last few days. After all kinds of over the counter bottles and potions failed to dent the sinus problems and unrelenting headaches, I decided to give acupuncture a go to see if it could ease the horrible bunged up feeling, get rid of the January blues and boost my faltering energy levels. It was a bit of ask alright, but with Western medicine not doing the business, the time had definitely came to embrace thousands of years wisdom of Chinese medicine.
With the aroma of grapefruit oil in the air setting a calming tone from the off, Amy, who has run her clinic in Glasson for over a decade now, is very reassuring to anyone new to acupuncture or Chinese medicine, and starts with a few simple questions about your health and lifestyle, nothing too difficult or intrusive. Amy tells me that the answers help her build up a pattern to see internally where the problems originate, from asking about things like your sleeping pattern, stress, digestion etc.
Afterwards, she turns to have a look at my tongue, a really important indicator in Chinese medicine, before checking my pulse on both hands, both of which help her confirm a diagnosis, choose the needles needed and the mixture of herbs which can help sort me out. Here’s hoping!
Amy told me my tongue showed a lot of heated phlegm consistent with sinusitis, a diagnosis confirmed by my pulse. She then inserted the needles on the surface of the skin, concentrating them on my forehead, legs and hands. When you talk to people, this is their biggest fear of acupuncture, but take from me, it doesn’t hurt at all, it’s simply a little pinch although you do look very funny, a bit of an extra from a horror film!
As most people know, acupuncture involves the use of sharp, thin needles that are inserted in the body at very specific points. This process is believed to adjust and alter the body’s energy flow into healthier patterns, and is used to treat a wide variety of illnesses and health conditions. Amy, whose speciality is treating women’s health conditions said ladies out there often don’t realise that there is another approach to their problems, while her clients also find the treatments, usually four to six in total, extremely beneficial for asthma, headaches, back and neck problems, sinus problems, digestion issues and a whole of other ailments. After training for three years at Acupuncture Foundation in Dublin, the Glasson resident then studied for a further year in Tuini, the Chinese version of Physical therapy, before undertaking a two year postgraduate course in Chinese medicine. With all the qualifications under her belt, Amy travelled to China where she worked for three months in the Provincial Hospital in Najang. Interestingly, she explained that Chinese medicine is integrated into the medical system over there where she spent time treating inpatients like stroke victims. “It’s really part of the system, it’s not seen as alternative, but really working with Western medicine which is fantastic. Maybe someday we’ll have that here,” she said hopefully. After 25 to 30 minutes to relax into an almost sleepy state, Amy returns to remove the needles and give me a little bit of homework. “I like to give something to people that they can do at home to improve their condition because they can usually only come to me once a week,” she advised as she massaged an uplifting mix of peppermint oil and sweet almond oil into my temples, forehead and nose area which was just fabulous, waking me up and clearing my head completely. Leaving Reflections with some herbs to take over the next week, I was completely energised, something I carried with me for the day. Gone was the sore head, sniffles and gunky feeling that had clouded me for weeks, it’s corny but I felt like a new person for the New Year. Well, it’s a good start anyhow...
For further information or appointments call Amy Moore of Athlone Natural Health Clinic 087 1318972. Amy will be in Reflections, Athlone every Tuesday from 9am to 6pm. Otherwise she is also available at her clinic at Lisahillen, Glasson.
