How Acupuncture Supports Immunity
Research has shown that acupuncture modulates immune function through multiple pathways. It increases the activity and count of natural killer (NK) cells — your frontline defense against viruses and abnormal cells. It regulates inflammatory cytokines, reducing chronic low-grade inflammation that suppresses immunity. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which directly supports immune function (chronic stress suppresses it). And it improves gut health — where approximately 70% of your immune system lives.
Seasonal Allergies
Allergies are one of the most satisfying conditions to treat with acupuncture. In Chinese medicine, allergies reflect a weakness in the Lung and Wei Qi (defensive Qi) — the body's surface-level immune defense. Treatment strengthens this defensive layer while addressing the underlying pattern. Many patients see dramatic reductions in allergy symptoms within a single season of treatment.
Preventive Treatment
In classical Chinese medicine, the highest form of medicine was preventive — treating the body before illness developed. Seasonal acupuncture (four times a year, at the change of each season) is a time-honored practice for maintaining immune resilience. Many of Janice's long-term patients come for seasonal tune-ups when they're feeling well, and report getting sick far less often than before they started.
Autoimmune Conditions
Autoimmune conditions require medical management, but acupuncture plays a valuable complementary role. By regulating (rather than simply stimulating) immune function, reducing inflammation, and addressing the stress component that often drives flares, acupuncture helps many autoimmune patients reduce symptom frequency and severity.