Can Acupuncture Prevent Colds & Flus?

Your nose is running, your eyes are tearing and your throat is so sore, it hurts to cough. In other words, you feel miserable.

The good news is, you’ll recover – but it could take anything from a few days to two weeks, depending on whether you have the common cold or the flu.

Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) generally agree on the causes and symptoms of colds and flus. Both respiratory diseases are caused by viruses – albeit different ones – and caught by inhaling the infected air droplets of a sick person. Where the cold and flu differ is in the severity and duration of symptoms.

In a common cold, the upper respiratory tract – the nose and throat – is infected. Symptoms tend to be milder than for the flu and include a runny nose, sore throat, cough, tearing and sneezing. It is usually resolved within a week. The flu, meanwhile, is caused by a variety of the influenza virus, and attacks the respiratory system, which runs from the nose and throat to the bronchial tubes and lungs. Flu symptoms tend to develop more quickly, are usually more severe, and take longer to resolve.

Chinese Medicine practitioners believe that the external pathogens that cause both the common cold and the flu are brought by the changing seasons, and generally fall in six groups: Wind, Heat, Dampness, Fire, Dryness and Cold. These pathogens – which can occur singly or together during a given season or in a given environment – battle with the protective Qi (or immunity) of the body. When a person’s protective Qi is weak, they are more vulnerable to the pathogen attacking, and more likely to fall sick. Battling the cold or flu effectively, therefore, involves strengthening protective Qi against these pathogens.

We are often led to believe that once we get our flu shot, that’s all we can do… it’s a case of “wait and see” if it worked. Just roll the dice. Maybe that’s ok for some people, but I’m not much of a gambler and rolling the dice with just a flu shot isn’t what I want to do. I’d much rather “stack the deck in my favour” by doing more. Thankfully, there are many things that you can do to help prevent colds & flus this year.

Here is a short list of things you can do this week (and the next) to boost your immune system.

1. Getting enough rest is one thing. Consider going to bed according to your own internal clock versus the clock on the wall. If you are waking up tired and groggy rather than refreshed, it means you aren’t in sync with your own body’s sleep cycle. Try switching it up.

2. Another is to go for walks or other form of exercise. Get some exercise and some fresh air and sunshine. Specifically, walking outdoors in nature has been shown to give an extra boost your immune system and protect you from illnesses. The sun’s rays helps the body produce its own vitamin D which is a vital nutrient for a healthy immune system.

3. A nutritious diet of whole foods is also a number one ingredient to a strong immune system. It can be hard to eat healthily when we go out to eat or eat processed foods, so get into the habit of cooking for yourself and your family this holiday season.

4. Consider meditating or get in a habit of quiet contemplation or prayer. Oodles of studies show that even 10 minutes of sitting quietly helps reduce stress and boost your immune system. There are tons of videos online for guided meditations if you need some help getting started. Insight Timer is a good place to start - or just ask me.

5. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. For literally thousands of years, the Chinese have successfully treated symptoms of viral colds and flus along with bacterial infections. They boost your overall health and specifically your immune system. If you have other health issues, a well trained acupuncturist (like me) can treat many of your health concerns all in one visit.

How does acupuncture help prevent colds and flus?

Acupuncturists have been treating colds and flus literally for thousands of years. But even more importantly, acupuncturists have been PREVENTING colds and flus by treating people before they catch the cold or flu. Because as they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure”. Traditionally, people would visit their village acupuncturist 4 times each year at the change of the seasons to best support the body and prevent seasonal health issues. Even today, many people come for their seasonal acupuncture “tune up”.

According to the traditional way of looking at acupuncture, it helps by strengthening the body’s own natural immune system by unblocking energetic blockages in the body’s natural energy flows. The Chinese called this energy “Qi”. Whenever it is compromised or stuck, illness will result. A metaphor might be having a kink in your water hose out in the garden. If the kink isn’t addressed, the flowers in your garden do not get what they needs and they quickly suffer, languish and eventually get sick. The same goes for our body; a kink in the energetic pathways of our body can lead to compromised flow of Qi and blood and lymph and nerve signals, metabolism, immune system and hormones… leading to illness. Acupuncture can figuratively “unkink” these blockages in the body and restore proper energy flow to restore optimum health.

From a more modern understanding of acupuncture, good acupuncture helps trigger all sorts of neuro-chemicals, triggering the body to make its own medicine such as its natural pain relievers, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxants, enkephalines, etc. In the case of the immune system, it helps restore blood flow to the various organs, triggers the production of more white blood cells, reduces cortisol levels, lowering the effects of overwork and stress, etc. In medical research jargon, it acts as an “immune modulator”.  But put simply, Acupuncture triggers the body to make its own medicine to restore good health and optimise your immune system so it can fend for itself.

So if you are looking for an additional ways to protect yourself and your family in the new year, consider Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.