I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sitting here sipping on some chai wondering where the summer went? The temperature is starting to get just a little crisp, and the leaves are starting to change. Luckily, the Fall is probably my favorite time of year. There is something about walking through a colorful blanket of leaves or a frosted pumpkin patch on a misty morning sipping on some hot cider that just makes me so happy.
However! This is also the time of the year that the common cold and the flu begin to make their grand entrance. Driving down any of the main roads you’re bound to see all the signs to get your flu shots to keep you well throughout the cold seasons of fall and winter. Let me clarify that I will never advise someone NOT to get a flu shot, as that is out of my medical scope of practice. However, I personally never have, and never will get a flu shot. So, for those of you like me who would rather have a more natural approach to fending off illness this winter, I would highly suggest giving acupuncture a try!
The truth is most people hear acupuncture and they think of “pain relief” – and they wouldn’t be wrong – but acupuncture has also been used for thousands of years for fending off infections and keeping immune systems strong. So, I like to think of acupuncture as the “natural flu shot”, not to mention it is a lot less painful than a flu shot, and it doesn’t leave you feeling ill for the next few days.
So how does it work?
As you may already know, acupuncture specifically works by rebalancing your Qi, which is the life force energy; it is also said that when Qi condenses it becomes matter (kind of like Einstein’s E=MC2). Qi at its essence is one energy, however it takes many forms in the mind, body, and spirit. One such form that Qi takes is called Wei Qi, or Defensive Qi, and this is the Qi that acupuncturists will work the most with to strengthen.
Wei Qi has a few functions
- To protect the body from pathogenic invasions
- To warm the skin and muscles, and maintain your inner thermostat
- Adjusts the opening and closing of the pores
When our Wei Qi is strong, we can fight off pathogenic invasions and maintain our health and wellness. To strengthen the Wei Qi, acupuncture points are selected on multiple meridians that influence the strength of your Wei Qi. In the event that you’re already feeling ill, your acupuncturist may also select acupuncture points that drain the pathogen out. In TCM, we call this “releasing the exterior”, and the most prominent manifestation of this is a light sweat.
Conventional medicine has started to take a closer look at how acupuncture modulates the immune system. Recent studies have linked acupuncture treatments to enhanced production of T-Lymphocytes, which are our immune system’s “front line of defense” when we get sick.
It is important to remember that you should not wait until you’re already feeling sick to come in for acupuncture treatments. Prevention is key! Regular acupuncture visits are the backbone of a preventative regime to ward off colds and the flu. Optimally, several acupuncture treatments are needed for the body to respond, and “tune up” visits would be beneficial until cold and flu season is over.
And as usual, whenever it comes to maximizing your health, a multidisciplinary approach is always best (we are multidimensional beings!). There are adjustments you can make to your nutrition, supplements, and general lifestyle that will give you the best shot at a flu-free winter. We’ll be explaining these in depth over the next few weeks.
Until then, Be Well everybody!
