Cold and Flu season is here. That can mean stuffy noses, sore throats, fevers, chills, aches, pains, you name it! Here at Acupuncture RemediesTM, we sometimes get calls from patients cancelling their appointments because they are sick, when in fact that is the exact opposite of what they should be doing. It’s not always known, but acupuncture DOES treat the cold and flu! And very effectively I might add…
Acupuncture (often combined with the use of herbs) helps these pesky illnesses in a few ways. First and foremost, acupuncture hastens healing and helps you get over the cold or flu much faster. So coming to see us as soon as you begin experiencing symptoms is very beneficial in that we are more likely to stop the illness dead in it’s tracks. We do this by boosting the body’s own natural defenses which helps to expel the virus that is plaguing you and push it out of your system. You may even experience excess sweating after an acupuncture treatment, which is a GOOD thing. This means the illness is leaving your body.
If you come see us already in full on agony: sore throat, stuffy nose, aches, pains etc… good news! We can help reduce the severity of all those symptoms and give you some relief, along with (of course) boosting your immune system to help fight the disease.
Lastly, if you are prone to succumbing to cold and flu season (as most of us are), come and see us before you get sick! Why? Well, if I haven’t said it enough, have you heard acupuncture can boost your immune system? Seriously though, coming in for regular immune boosting treatments can help prevent colds and flus before you even have to deal with them. In addition, if you suffer from seasonal allergies, acupuncture can be very beneficial to you as well for the same reason.
So when you feel so sick that you can’t get out of bed, swap out your bed for one of ours for just for one hour! I promise, it will help you feel SO much better. In the meantime, drink plenty of warm or room temperature fluids, always cover your neck when you’re outside in the cold weather, and get plenty of sleep.
Bonus tip! In the early stages of a cold or flu, making a soup out of the white bulbous part of green onions (scallions) and fresh ginger can act as a diaphoretic and push the pathogen out of your pores before it fully settles. Boil the ingredients for about 10 minutes, add some honey if you wish, and enjoy. Then wrap yourself up in a warm blanket and curl up on the couch. You will likely sweat as the illness leaves your body, and hopefully, you will feel better soon!
-Marcy Gordon
