An amazing number of ailments and symptoms are caused at least in part by allergic reactions, such as fatigue, pain, respiratory symptoms and asthma, gastrointestinal problems such as IBS, and emotional problems such as depression or anxiety.
You may or may not know that you are allergic, or what you are allergic to. Some health issues are caused secondarily by allergies. For example, you might have illnesses caused by malnutrition, which is secondary to an allergy to certain kinds of food that are in your otherwise adequate diet, so the nutrients aren’t absorbed and utilized properly. You might also have a reaction to healing treatments such as herbs or chelation that could help you regain your health, but you need to be sure you don’t react to the treatment before it can be used.
NAET – what’s that?
NAET, short for Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique and named after the doctor who developed it, works on an energy level and does not involve injections of substances, making it nearly risk-free compared with other allergy treatments, and also pain-free since no needles are used. After a successful treatment for one item or a group of items, the desensitization is usually permanent.
The Theory behind NAET
In a healthy person, the immune system and the body in general can deal with toxins and microbes appropriately, and this includes the ability to distinguish between that which is or is not dangerous.
Although many substances such as mercury or arsenic are toxic to everyone, other things are toxic or not depending on how the brain, and thus the body, perceives it and reacts to it. This selective toxicity is sensitivity or allergy. This is why there are many substances, such as certain foods, or pollen, perfume, or cat hair, that cause a problem for one person but not for another. The actual symptoms of allergy or sensitivity vary and depend on the person’s weak areas. The severity of the allergic symptoms can also vary between people or even in the same person from day to day, depending on how stressed the immune system is that day by other allergens or toxins.
The brain has been programmed, for whatever reason, to see something that is harmless to most people as being toxic. It follows that the brain can be reprogrammed, and if the brain is reprogrammed, it will no longer see the substance as harmful and the body will no longer react. This is the theory behind NAET.
The treatment
The existence of allergy or sensitivity to a particular substance is determined through muscle testing, in which a muscle will test weak if the body/brain is reacting adversely to a substance, or computerized testing. Then, while holding a vial of the substance, or even of water with the energy frequency of the substance, certain acupuncture pathways are stimulated. The substance is then avoided for the next 25 hours and the person is retested. In this way the brain is reprogrammed to tell the body the substance is harmless. When you come in for a treatment you will be given full instructions as to what to do and to avoid.
But is it scientific?
This whole explanation of the theory and treatment might sound a bit, well, mystical or “out there”. We’re used to the scientific method of explanation and proof. But what makes something scientifically valid? It’s not whether it’s familiar, or whether a lot of people in your particular culture know about it, or whether it can be explained. Scientific validity hinges on the answer to one question: Does it work? Not necessarily 100% of the time, but significantly better than one would expect by chance. NAET passes this test with ease, and has proven itself after over three decades of use.
A caution
Not everything should be treated for, such as pathogenic microorganisms or toxic mercury. A strong immune and detoxification response is desirable for these.
Other things to do
Testing may show that you are allergic to dozens or even hundreds of substances. But this doesn’t mean that hundreds of treatments are necessary in order to cover each one. After treatment for several items, your body might be less reactive to others since your immune system is no longer so overwhelmed. Also, you will likely be given a number of other things at CAM to do to calm down your body and immune system. You will learn how to identify and avoid toxins, probably go on a detoxification diet, and, after making sure you don’t react to chelation, have chelation to remove metals from your body, or take advantage of the detoxification sauna to remove chemicals.
