Are you ready for the cold & flu season?

 

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy is second to none in its effectiveness in treating allergies, common cold, and flu.

How does this all work?

To further understand how acupuncture and Chinese herbs help combat colds and flu, let’s take a brief look at how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views the common cold. The pathogens responsible for cold and flu symptoms in a body are seen as invasions of wind. Say what? Growing up, my mother would always tell me to put on more clothes before leaving the house, or not to go out with wet hair, so I wouldn’t catch wind. It was not until later when I started my studies of TCM, did the theory of wind unfold itself to me.

Wind

Wind is considered as one of six external pathogens that can invade the body and cause trouble. Our body is protected by what is known as the wei qi (defensive qi) also known as our immune system. This is our body’s first line of defense. When we are strong and healthy, our wei qi stands guard, keeps the pores of our skin closed and prevents windfrom entering. However when we are over-worked, highly stressed, lack appropriate rest, eat poorly or are simply inappropriately dressed for certain weather conditions, our defensive Qi becomes compromised, our pores open and wind enters the body. This explains why when we experience the beginnings of a cold we feel chills, sensitivity to the wind and body aches, as this wind enters superficial meridians and blocks the flow of energy in them. When treating the common cold, Chinese herbal medicine not only work as anti-viral and antibacterial agents, it also have a diaphoretic action which repels the wind out of the body. Furthermore wind can carry another pathogen with it and can thus present as wind heat or wind cold, which would be treated with two very different sets of herbs and acupuncture techniques.

Wind - Cold

This form is the milder of the two. This is when the cold is just in the beginning stages and there are not many heat symptoms. The “bug” at this time is slightly dancing and teasing you on the surface of your skin trying to feel its way and see you are vulnerable for an attack or not. Some of the symptoms may include:

  • Sensitivity to cold or wind

  • Shivering

  • Sneezing

  • Cough

  • Running nose with white-watery mucus

  • No fever or slight fever

  • Body aches, stiff neck

  • No sweating

  • No thirst

This is a good time to start elderberry syrup, vitamin c, drink plenty of room temperature water, rest and stay away from icy cold beverages. Drinking miso soup with tofu and scallions are also excellent during this time. Make warm tea with few slices of fresh ginger, lemon and honey. Taking a hot bath and immediately covering yourself up to “sweat off” the pathogen is also helpful. (Please make sure to change your cloth if it gets damp and continue to cover up.) This is also the best time to visit your Chinese medical doctor, get acupuncture to strengthen the immune system and start on medicinal herbal teas to ward off or to fight the beginnings of the cold. 

Wind - Heat

In L.A., we often don't see a wind-cold condition. We tend to go straight into the wind-heat condition. The virus invades your body quickly and your body is responding with high alert therefore increases the body temperature (fever) and try to literally kill the off the germs. Some of the symptoms include:

  • Sensitivity to wind

  • Fever

  • Sore throat, swollen tonsils

  • Sneezing

  • Cough and running nose with yellow or green mucus

  • Slight body ache

  • Slight sweating

  • Thirst

During this time, plenty of rest and water is essential. Cover up especially the head and neck area. Mint or chrysanthemum flower teas are helpful. Try to avoid over stimulated foods like spicy, greasy, fried foods and sugar, as these foods create mucus and will further exacerbate the condition. Again, at the slightest hint of a sore throat or swelling of the glands around your throat, come and get some acupuncture and Herbs. 

Now you may already understand how TCM is very effective at treating the initial stages of a cold, but what about if you've already had a cold for a week or have not managed to shift the cold I caught last month? Herein lie the sophistication of Chinese Medicine, it is able to treat cold and flues at various stages, beginning, middle, end and the worst - lingering. 

As a form of preventative medicine it is also a good idea to get regular acupuncture treatments during the cold and flu season, or with the changing of the seasons. Prevention is the key. If you are susceptible to catching colds easily, studies have shown acupuncture helps to increase white blood cell count resulting in a boost to your immune system. If you have suffered from recurrent colds please consult with your TCM practitioner, as they can guide your towards a treatment plan to aid in strengthen your immune system. In this way when you feel just the slightest indication of a wind invasion such as slight body aches, scratchy throat, or if everyone around you is coming down with something, get a treatment, take herbs and see how the magic works.

 
Jessica Chen