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I seem to
be constantly sick this time of year. Is there anything acupuncture can do
for me?
MB,
Shepherd
Dear MB,
This time
of year isn’t idly called the cold and flu season. Most people experience
at least one cold between October and April. There are many things
acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can do to help.
First,
while you are healthy, we can use acupuncture treatments and herbal
formulas to strengthen your immune system. Secondly, if you do get sick, we
have specific acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas to help your
immune system fight the sickness, as well as
relieve the immediate symptoms. We also use various massage techniques in
conjunction with acupuncture to help your body eliminate the pathogens and
lessen the severe symptoms such as sore throat, runny nose, cough, muscle
aches and even vomiting.
There are
several patterns in TCM that are all identified as a “cold” or “the flu“ in Western medicine. TCM recognizes cold, damp, heat
and wind as pathogens that can “invade” the body causing disease. In TCM we
look at each individual. We talk to you about your symptoms, dietary
habits, elimination habits and sleep patterns. We
will ask you what you were doing prior to getting sick, if you feel cold or
hot and if anything alleviates your symptoms. From this discussion, as well
as a physical examination in which we will take your pulse in 3 locations
on each wrist and look at your tongue, we can determine which pattern of
“cold” or “flu” you have. This allows us to tailor a treatment protocol for
you which would include acupuncture, plus some
combination of the other treatments described above.
For an
individual who suffers from chronic allergies, asthma and/or cold symptoms
we can start a regimen of regular acupuncture and herbs that would last
throughout the season, October to April. This has been shown to reduce the
severity of symptoms, the duration of colds and flu and keep you healthier
overall.
Home
Care:
A few
things you can do at home to ease your symptoms include:
Nasal
irrigation: This can be performed with either a neti
pot or a bulb syringe, and saline.
Run a humidifier with lavender oil, thyme or
eucalyptus oil, especially at night.
Make a mixture of olive oil and 2-3 drops of
eucalyptus oil, thyme and lavender oil, rub this
on your chest and under your nose.
Make a tea of licorice and mint leaves. Drink 3-4
cups per day. This will help clear congestion and soothe a sore throat.
One of the best remedies for a cold is still
Chicken soup. You can use a canned chicken broth as your base (try to find
a low sodium variety) or make your own with a few chicken pieces - thighs
give the most flavor. Soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
is a good substitute for salt and a healthier way to flavor your soup. Add
fresh vegetables like winter squash, carrots, broccoli, spinach or other
leafy greens, onion, ginger and garlic and you have a delicious soup.
Barley or other whole grains make a good addition too.
For nausea, boil 3 pieces of fresh or candied
ginger in 2 cups of broth and drink small amounts throughout the day.
Take a warm bath or shower. The steam can help
clear a stuffy head and the heat will help open pores and make you sweat.
To generate a lot of sweating, drink Ginger tea before taking a hot bath and
then bundle up and get into bed. Sweating is one way our body fights off
invasion from external pathogens.
It’s
always better to stay healthy, but for those times when you can’t avoid it,
it helps to take a proactive role in your recovery. Knowing things you can
do at home to feel better and visiting your acupuncturist early for
specially tailored care can shorten the duration of your cold or flu and
let you get back to your life. Have a safe and healthy Holiday
season!
Kara Burpee is a Licensed Acupuncturist
at the Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic. She can be reached at 259-5096.
Send future health questions to ync@180com.net.
Yellowstone Naturopathic
Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655
ync@180com.net
Dispensary
406·254·9682
dispensary@yncnaturally.com
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