When a patient is feeling ill but can’t obtain a clear diagnosis, it can be very challenging to know how to move forward with the proper treatment. At times, seeing so many doctors can cause even more confusion. Specialists typically only look for issues that relate to their specialty, and they may not perceive a broader mandate to treat the patient beyond that specific area. As a result, specialists may not look at other aspects of a patient’s health that could shed some light on the issue.
With this compartmentalized approach to health care it can be difficult to uncover the underlying condition, much less treat and resolve it. This can be very frustrating for the patient, who only wants to solve the problem and get better as soon as possible. Acupuncture takes an entirely different approach when assessing a patient’s condition and identifying the possible cause of any health concerns they may be experiencing. An hour spent with an acupuncturist, who scrutinizes a patient’s body more carefully and holistically, can sometimes help determine what medical problem should be addressed and point the way toward a course of treatment.
It is not uncommon for me to see patients who are suffering from unspecified illnesses and trying diligently to get some answers about what is ailing them. One such case was a woman who came to me suffering from tinnitus. I suspected her health issues were caused by an undetected mold-related allergy, which can be hard to pinpoint yet may have severe impacts. Some rare cases of mold allergies even result in death – being allergic to mold is actually a good thing because it gives you advance warning that there is a problem so you can get treatment before the situation worsens.
After meeting with the patient and performing a holistic assessment of her health, I recommended that she be checked for a mold condition. It turned out the whole inside of her nasal cavity was infected with mold spores. On top of that, she had Lyme disease and also some underlying autoimmune issues. Her visit to my acupuncture practice was what started the ball rolling with getting the right diagnoses and seeing the right medical specialists.
Because an acupuncturist tends to spend a lot more time with a patient than a Western doctor, carefully poking, feeling around and assessing a patient’s physical state holistically, we can sometimes shed some light on what may be causing the problem so that it may be properly addressed. If you are suffering from a mystery illness or having difficulty getting a clear diagnosis for a health problem you are dealing with, acupuncture may be able to help find the answers you’ve been looking for.
