Allergy 'Cure' Under Fire by Doctors

June 6 -- What if you could cure those pesky, and sometimes debilitating, allergies without taking medication?

Although people who have tried a new allergy treatment called Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques say it is something close to a miracle, some doctors remain skeptical of its value.

NAET was developed by Devi S. Nambudripad of Buena Park, Calif., an accredited acupuncturist, chiropractor, kinesiologist and registered nurse. According to her Web site, she developed the treatment in 1984 while working on her doctorate at Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles.

She observed that "people presenting allergic symptoms often responded favorably to acupuncture or accupressure treatment."

Exposing People to Allergens

Certain people's immune systems are sensitive to environmental factors — allergens — such as pollen or food, and are said to have allergies. Typically, doctors recommend that patients avoid allergens, or take an Food and Drug Administration-approved medication, which could be a topical medication, a pill or an injection.

With NAET, the practitioner exposes the patient to a vial of the allergen. Then, the practitioner monitors muscles all over the body to see how they respond. Practitioners say that when patients are exposed to an allergen in this setting, their muscles, and internal organs in some cases, appear to get weak or go limp.

After the allergy is determined, accupressure — the Eastern practice of applying varying levels of pressure to certain points around the body — is applied to areas along the spine to alter how the patient's muscles and internal organs react to the allergen as the practioner continues to expose the patient to the vial.

The patient also receives what Nambudripad calls "vibration therapy" along other accupressure points throughout the body. When that's done, the muscle reaction is tested again. If the muscles are able to react normally in the presence of an allergen, based on looking at results of monitors along accupressure points, the allergy should be gone, according to Nambudripad's theory.