Cold & Flu

Today we receive mixed signals from doctors about how to treat common colds and flu. The fear of widespread antibiotic resistance has many people avoiding the doctor altogether when they get sick. Left with over the counter medicines to treat symptoms so that we may continue working or school, it often can take up to two weeks for a cold to resolve. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be a valuable resource in the prevention of colds and flu and can also help us recover from them quickly and easily.

Prevention

It is possible to use Chinese medicine to prevent the infections of colds and flu altogether or when caught early, to prevent them from turning into full-blown infections. Studies have shown that certain acupuncture points are effective in boosting the immune system. Herbal medicine can also be prescribed to enhance your immune system. When people around you are getting sick, receiving acupuncture treatments and taking preventive herbs will increase your ability to fight off illness and remain healthy. It is advisable to come for acupuncture once or twice a month during cold and flu season to help strengthen your immune system and keep you healthy.

Treatment

If you do happen to catch a cold or the flu, acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help lessen the severity and speed the recovery time of illness. If you visit your acupuncturist at the first signs of a cold or flu, such as sore throat, earache, fatigue or body aches, you can receive treatment and herbal medicine that will help to relieve symptoms and repair your immunity so that your body can fight off the infection. Acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas are tailored to each person’s individual symptoms no matter how severe, while at the same time they prevent the illness from going deeper into the body. Also, if an illness is lingering, frequent and regular treatments (twice a week for one to two weeks) will help stop the pattern of re-infection and weakening immunity so that you can finally get over your cold or flu.

Recovery

It is common knowledge in Chinese medicine that it is possible to recover from an illness and be stronger for it. Using acupuncture and Chinese herbs during the recovery stage of infection is a good way to ensure you are completely over the infection and that your immune system is intact and ready to fight off the next bout of sickness that makes its way through your home or work environment. Two or three weekly treatments after an illness will help to restore balance in your immune, respiratory and digestive systems. Symptoms like lingering cough or phlegm or an irregularity in your elimination are common complaints after a severe bout with the flu.

The Benefits of an Alternative

Chinese medicine was developed to treat many different illnesses, but made particular advancements in its medical history when doctors began to look specifically at the treatment of viral and bacterial infections. Now, the ancient wisdom of Chinese medicine is combined with what modern acupuncturists know about viral infections such as the flu. Complimentary and alternative medicine is receiving a lot of attention right now because of the fear of a wide-spread flu outbreak. With the benefits of vaccines uncertain, people are wisely looking for other ways to protect themselves against serious illness during the cold and flu months. It is our hope that, after reading this article, you now know that it is easy to use acupuncture and Chinese herbs as an inexpensive and effective way to prevent and treat colds and flu.