I write this on a personal level.
After 10 months of having a cough that tickled the back of my throat when really really relaxed ie falling asleep. Or coughing when entering into different climates, ie car heaters or entering shops. My husband started to worry that a cough was something more sinister and got me to book an appointment with the doctors.
I went to the doctors and after a little trail and error (inhalers etc ) they prescribed my with acid reflux even though I didnt have heartburn the cough was a symptom of acid reflux. I did a month on taking the prescription drugs which stopped my coughing and then I forgot to take them. The cough came back with a vengeance which made me feel it hid the problem and didnt resolve it.
I spoke to the doctors about alternative treatments for it and specifically asked if there was anything food wise that I could do to help myself. The doctor said the acupuncture was a placebo and that acid reflux was an older persons problem (I’m 45) I was then put on repeat prescriptions to be taken daily.
NOT A CHANCE.
I was an acupuncturist at the time and knew exactly what I had to do. I started treating myself on an evening twice a week for 2 weeks and then dropped that back to once every 2 weeks. Now I treat myself only when I remember – which is about once every 2 months. It took 6 session to become acid reflex free and I take no drugs. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) see acid reflux as Qi going the wrong way. It is stomach energy that should be going down and instead it is going up. A few simple needles to tell the Qi that ‘you are going the wrong way’ has sorted it out.
As a bonus because some acupuncture points do many different things my period pain has been massively reduced. A win all round!