Acupuncture Prevent Colds? This Winter? Really?

Can acupuncture prevent colds this winter?

I’m always surprised when my patients ask, “can Acupuncture prevent colds?”  “Absolutely !” is always my response.  You can use acupuncture to prevent colds and the flu during this winter season.  Patients look for ways to avoid suffering through the miserable feeling that comes when they have a cold. A stuffy nose, post nasal drip, body aches and coughing can all make you feel like crawling into bed and wrapping yourself in layers of warm comfort. Unfortunately, with the hectic schedules many people have, even a day of rest can seem like a luxury.

Here’s how acupuncture prevents colds

Boosts Your Immune System

Acupuncture can be used to reduce the likelihood that you will experience any of these symptoms. Your body is designed to fight back against the viruses that cause the flu. Acupuncture works by boosting your immune system so that your white blood cells kill the viruses before they can do extensive damage inside your body. Along with washing your hands, exercising regularly and using herbal supplements such as garlic, this can be an effective way to keep yourself healthier right throughout winter.

You can feel healthy and ready to take on the challenges of work or school right throughout winter. Even when friends or coworkers are coughing or sneezing all around you, boosting your own immune system will help you to keep the virus from causing symptoms such as a runny nose. Acupuncturists can stimulate the right points by using electronic stimulation or needles. Thus, people who prefer needleless acupuncture can still benefit from using this preventative technique during cold/flu season.

Detect An Infection

An acupuncturist will target certain points to alleviate the symptoms which are experienced by someone who has the flu. In fact, there is a specific point on the hand which is commonly associated with the common cold and the flu virus. By applying pressure to this point, you can detect and relieve cold and flu symptoms. A trained acupuncturist can quickly detect whether you have a cold by palpitating the common cold point. It will usually feel sore to them. Along with other points on your hands, this point can be stimulated to increase your immunity.

Find out about Self-Stimulation

You can use acupuncture to help prevent colds/flu by doing some of the simulation exercises on your own. An acupuncturist can show you points on your body that you can massage in order to boost your immunity. A few minutes each day can help you to feel more relaxed and invigorated.  This is especially true if you have been suffering from a weakened immune system for quite a long time.

Reduce Cold and Flu Symptoms

If you already have a cold or the flu, you can still use acupuncture and acupressure to feel better. The same approach you use in acupuncture to help prevent colds/flu can be used to alleviate the symptoms. Working on points which are associated with immunity can help your body to get rid of the virus much faster. People using this method to help fight a cold/flu notice their body goes through the cold’s stages more quickly.

Increase Your Energy Levels

In addition to helping you kick the flu virus before it can have an impact on you, when you use acupuncture to prevent colds this winter, you gain more energy. This is good news for everyone, especially men and women who find that they tend to become lethargic or depressed during the winter season. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that people are healthiest when they adjust their own routines to the cycles of their natural environment.
The winter season is ruled by water and as such, is associated with the adrenal glands. Resting more often during this time is advised, since it important to allow your body to replenish and repair itself. The adrenal glands do a lot of work every day. As the year draws to a close, they will benefit from any extra rest that you can get. In traditional Chinese medicine, problems with the kidneys are seen as a cause of adrenal fatigue. Acupuncturists can use herbs which build kidney yin to alleviate stress, recommend dietary changes which improve sleep and stimulate points linked to your kidney to help you feel a boost in energy.