Colds, coughs and the flu virus can affect us at any time of year. Some of us are more prone to catching them than others. Sometimes minor colds or stubborn coughs can linger for weeks, or escalate into a full-blown infection and knock us out of commission. Sometimes they come with fever, chills, sore throats, mucus, congestion, body aches and fatigue. The fall and winter and winter are the most common times to catch them. Here are some traditional Chinese medicine tips to protect yourself from colds and coughs this year:
1) Avoid getting chilled.
It’s often during the seasonal shifts where people get sick because their bodies don’t adjust the drastic changes in temperature. According to Chinese medicine, when you catch a chill, this is called an “invasion of wind-cold“. This is why even in English we call it “catching a cold“. The wind-cold goes into your skin and your immune system goes into hyper-drive to deal with it, causing mucus, fever, aches, etc.
If you get chilled, the best thing you can do is to sweat. Take a hot bath or a sauna. Or drink a warm-ginger tea and lie under some blankets to sweat it out. When you sweat, the “wind-cold” is released through your pores, and you will avoid getting more sick. If the wind-cold isn’t expelled, then it will go deeper into your body, possibly causing a cough or a full-blown cold. The key is catching it at the beginning stages and sweating it out.
Try it, you’ll see how well it works.
Acupuncture relieves stress and boosts the immune system.
2) Get Acupuncture
Acupuncture helps keep your immune system strong and in balance. When someone’s immune system is weak, they tend to get colds and coughs easily. When their immune system is out of balance, they tend to have allergic reactions to certain environmental influences or foods.
Acupuncture helps stabilize and reinforce your immune system, so it does it’s job properly and efficiently to defend your body against outside threats and maintain a balanced relationship between all your internal systems (organ system, nervous system, endocrine system, circulatory system, lymphatic system, etc.)
There are many factors that can weaken your immune system, like stress, adrenal fatigue, digestive problems, insomnia or internal inflammation. Getting regular acupuncture solves these issues and strengthens your body in the core, by affecting the internal organs through the acu-points.
3) Eat pears and drink ginger tea in the fall.
Ginger has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-fungal properties.
The fall is the season of the lungs. Pears moisten and nourish the lungs, which are one of the four main organs involved in your immune system, according to Chinese medicine.
The three other organ systems are the Kidneys, the Spleen and the Large Intestine. Choose organic pears and eat them with the skin for the best effects. Pears are great when you have a dry cough. Ginger empowers your spleen and lungs, and defends against “wind-cold” attacks.
The best way to make ginger tea is to boil fresh ginger for 5-10 minutes. Sweetening it with some honey is also good because honey strengthens the Spleen organ system and balances the drying and hot nature of ginger. Make sure you use real honey, not the cheap stuff made with corn syrup.
Ginger also has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and has even been shown to reduce ovarian cancer cells. Ginger is a powerful super-food and healing herb. I always have ginger in my fridge and so should you.
4) Avoid refined sugar.
Excessive refined sugar weakens the immune system and causes an internal inflammatory response, due to the spike in insulin levels triggered by the sugar intake. If you want to test this theory, the next time you start to feel like you might be coming down with something (you have scratchy throat, body aches, sniffles, fatigue, etc), then eat a bunch of doughnuts or sugar. You will likely get sicker very fast.
So if you want to avoid catching colds and coughs. The next time you notice people around you getting sick, or you are feeling like your immune system is low, stay away from refined sugars. Instead eat more fibrous foods, drink more pure water and get some rest.
Most efficient way to position your body on the toilet to optimize your bowel movements.
5) Keep your bowels moving.
Regular and complete bowel movements are the cornerstone to good health. If your large intestine isn’t excreting waste and toxins regularly, then you are likely re-absorbing toxins into your system. Instead of having a strong immune system standing by ready to defend against an external pathogen, your immune system will be too busy trying to cope with excess of toxins in your body.
If you do not have 1-2 regular and complete bowel movements per day, your immune system may be compromised.
To help your bowels move more regularly; drink more pure water, consume more fibre, get acupuncture, eliminate foods that are causing constipation, do an intestinal cleanse, change your posture on the toilet, or seek a Chinese herbal prescription to help your bowels move.
Everyone should have this herbal cough syrup in their home medicine cabinet. Safe for children too. Come into my clinic to get some.
Whether you have a cold, a cough, a sore throat, a fever or if you are healthy now but you tend to catch colds or coughs easily, arm yourself with some Chinese herbal formulas.
These formulas use 100% natural ingredients derived from plants. They are fully safe, with little to no side-effects, and have proven their efficacy to treat a wide variety of symptoms and health issues over thousands of years.
There are formulas that will help your immune system get stronger to defend itself against colds, coughs and the flu. Some herbal formulas are so effective I think everyone should keep them in their home medicine cabinet in case they start to feel unwell.
Like this herbal cough syrup, which I have available in my clinic. Come see me at my clinic to get the herbal formula that’s right for you, or consult your registered practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine for a herbal prescription.
Seasonal transitions are not always easy for even the healthiest of people. Especially this time of year when the days are getting shorter, Vitamin D is in short supply and our bodies shirk away from the cold winds of winter.
Traditional Chinese medicine understands how these seasonal changes affect the mind and body through the 5 element and yin-yang theory. Each season correlates to a different element, different organs and correspond to different stages in the yin-yang cycle.
The winter solstice marks the greatest depth of yin, just as the summer solstice is the highest peak of yang energy.
By using this knowledge a skilled traditional Chinese medicine acupuncturist will adjust their treatments based on the seasons, and take advantage of how the energy is circulating in your body.
Maintaining balance through these transitions is critical to our health and wellbeing. When proper self-care is ignored during a transition, then imbalance can happen and physical symptoms like colds, the flu, coughs, skin problems, insomnia, seasonal allergies, or aches and pains get worse. More frequently imbalances during these transitions also bring about psychological and mood disorders like SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
Traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture can reduce these problems by balancing the meridians and organ systems to better cope with the external and internal stresses of these season changes. Acupuncture can help strengthen the immune system and detoxify the body to prevent possible cold or flu-like symptoms from getting a grip on you. It can unblock stagnant points in meridians that cause mood disorders during seasonal change.
Avid acupuncture users frequently visit their acupuncturists for a “tune-up” or “seasonal treatment” to help them get back on track when they start to feel run down or just “a little off”. This is very wise preventative self-care.
Those who are even more tuned-in to taking care of themselves will seek acupuncture and TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) when going through life transitions. During acupuncture treatments the body processes the different stressors and stimuli which can otherwise overwhelm someone if they don’t take the healing time they need. Big life changes can be stressful, acupuncture can help increase your capacity to handle stress and process feelings and emotions.
With the holiday season approaching, and all the stress and activity that comes with that, combined with the winter solstice, short days and cold weather, it’s wise to book yourself in for some acupuncture to help fill up your own reserves so that you can handle the challenges ahead more harmoniously. Just request a “seasonal transition acupuncture treatment” and your acupuncturist will know exactly what to do.
Blaise T. Ryan is a Registered Acupuncturist and Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner. He accepts new patients at his Westboro location. Insurance receipts are available. You can book an appointment online or by calling 613-702-5377.
L’Acupuncture et les Transitions entre les Saisons
Les transitions d’une saison à l’autre ne sont pas toujours faciles, même pour les personnes en très bonne santé. C’est tout particulièrement vrai à ce temps-ci de l’année alors que les journées raccourcissent, que la vitamine D se fait rare, et que notre corps cherche à se réfugier loin des vents froids de l’hiver.
La Médecine Traditionnelle Chinoise explique, grâce à la Théorie des 5 Éléments et du Yin-Yang, comment les changements de saisons affectent l’esprit et le corps. Chacune des saisons est en corrélation avec un élément différent, des organes différents et correspond à différents aspects du Cycle Yin-Yang.
Au solstice d’hiver, le Yin se manifeste pleinement, tandis qu’au solstice d’été, l’énergie Yang est à son apogée.
En utilisant ces connaissances, un acupuncteur qualifié et expérimenté de la Médecine Traditionnelle Chinoise ajustera ses traitements aux saisons et prendra avantage de la façon dont l’énergie circule dans votre corps.
Garder notre équilibre dans ces transitions est primordial pour notre santé et notre bien-être. Lorsqu’on ne prend pas soin de soi pendant une transition, un déséquilibre peut survenir et des symptômes physiques tels que les rhumes, la grippe, la toux, les problèmes cutanés, l’insomnie, les allergies saisonnières, ou encore les douleurs, s’aggravent. Ces déséquilibres durant les périodes de transitions amènent fréquemment des désordres psychologiques et émotionnels tels que le TAS (Trouble Affectif Saisonnier).
L’acupuncture de la Médecine Traditionnelle Chinoise peut atténuer ces problèmes en équilibrant les sytèmes des méridiens et des organes, leur permettant ainsi de mieux faire face aux stress externes et internes qui surviennent lors des changements de saisons. L’acupuncture peut aider à renforcer le système immunitaire et à détoxifier le corps et donc prévenir un rhume éventuel ou les symptômes ressemblant à ceux de la grippe.
L’acupuncture peut débloquer les points stagnants dans les méridiens qui causent les désordres de l’humeur lors des changements de saisons.
Les habitués avides d’acupuncture rendent souvent visite à leur acupuncteur pour une “mise au point” ou un “traitement saisonnier” dans le but d’obtenir de l’aide pour “se remettre sur les rails” quand ils commencent à se sentir fatigués ou juste “pas très bien”. C’est une pratique de soins à soi-même préventive très sage.
Ceux qui sont encore plus enclins à prendre soin d’eux-mêmes vont vouloir recevoir de l’acupuncture et de la MTC (Médecine Traditionnelle Chinoise) dans les périodes de transition de la vie. Pendant les traitements d’acupuncture, le corps traite les différents stresseurs et stimuli qui autrement peuvent accabler une personne si elle ne prend pas le temps qu’il faut pour guérir. Les grands changements de la vie peuvent être stressants et l’acupuncture peut aider à augmenter votre capacité de faire face au stress et d’adresser les sentiments et les émotions.
Avec la saison des Fêtes qui approche et son lot de stress et d’activités, combinée au solstice d’hiver, aux journées courtes et au froid, il est sage de vous réserver des séances d’acupuncture pour vous aider à accroître vos réserves d’énergie et ainsi vous permettre de faire face aux défis de façon plus harmonieuse. Vous n’avez qu’à demander un “traitement d’acupuncture de transition saisonnière” et votre acunpuncteur saura exactement ce qu’il doit faire.
Blaise T. Ryan est un Acupuncteur enregistré et un Praticien de Médecine Traditionnelle Chinoise enregistré. Il accepte de nouveaux clients à son bureau situé dans Westboro. Les reçus pour fins de couverture par les assurances sont disponibles. Vous pouvez prendre rendez-vous avec lui en ligne iciou en composant le 613-702-5377.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine have proven to be successful in treating a wide variety of health conditions. A lot of people are drawn to acupuncture and Chinese medicine as a “last resort” to try and help a medical problem that may be serious and complex. It is common for people to find that acupuncture and the traditional Chinese approach to health can help them when other treatments could not. This is why acupuncture is being used by more people every year to help with all kinds of different health issues.
Watch this video to learn about the health issues acupuncture can treat:
In addition to treating acute or serious health problems, acupuncture is often used as a preventative medicine. Many people see their acupuncturist only a few times a year to help with “seasonal transitions” or as a “tune up” or “balancing” treatment. This can be effective in keeping in good health, energy and vitality as well as for preventing illness.
A TCM-trained (Traditional Chinese Medicine) acupuncturist will determine the best treatment based on what your body needs to find balance and restore health. Each patient must have a full TCM health assessment in order for the practitioner to correctly diagnose the syndrome and imbalances in the body.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) will assess the states of the organ systems, the meridians, the fluid metabolism, circulation and the vital energy “Qi” of the body.
Based on the licensed acupuncturist’s diagnosis, a treatment plan will be prepared in order to address both the root-cause of the health problem, as well as the symptoms and manifestations of the issue. For example, someone with a skin disorder may be diagnosed with a weakness in the lungs or it may be caused by toxins in the digestive system. So, the treatment would focus on not only the skin, but also on the cause in the lungs or digestive system.
What health problems are commonly treated with Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is well-known for treating pain-related issues. For example, arthritis, back, neck,
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system that is capable of diagnosing and successfully treating a wide range of conditions including knee and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica. Yet, it can also treat many other health disorders.
(This is not a complete list of what Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can treat.)
Musculoskeletal and Neurological Disorders
Chronic Pain
Acute Pain
Sports Injuries
Arthritis
Neuralgia
Sciatica
Back Pain
Bursitis
Tendonitis
Stiff Neck
Bell’s Palsy
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Headaches and Migraines
Fibromyalgia
Stroke
Cerebral Palsy
Polio
Sprains
Muscle Spasms
Shingles
Respiratory Disorders
Asthma
Coughs
Emphysema
Bronchitis
Colds and Flus
Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat Disorders
Sinusitis
Sore Throat
Hay Fever
Earache
Nerve Deafness
Ringing in the Ears
Dizziness
Poor Eyesight
Circulatory Disorders
High Blood Pressure
Angina Pectoris
Arteriosclerosis
Anemia
Poor circulation in the legs, hands or feet
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Nausea
Digestive Problems
Weight Gain
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Spastic Colon
Colitis
Constipation
Diarrhea
Food Allergies
Parasites
Gallstones
Ulcers
Gastritis
Abdominal Bloating
Hemorrhoids
Gynecological / Genitourinary Disorders
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Irregular, Heavy or Painful Menstruation
Fertility Problems
Endometriosis
Menopause Symptoms (Night sweats, hot flashes, etc)
Fibroids
Chronic Bladder Infection
Complications in Pregnancy
Morning Sickness
Kidney Stones
Impotence
Infertility in Men and Women
Sexual Dysfunction
Immune Disorders
Allergies
Candida
Chronic Fatigue
Lupus, Lymes Disease
Addiction
Smoking Cessation
Drugs
Alcohol
Emotional and Psychological Disorders
Anxiety
Insomnia
Depression
Stress
ADHD, Attention Deficit Disorders
PTSD
Acupuncture Also Treats
Chemotherapy/Radiation Side Effects
Diabetes
Dermatological Disorders
Premature Aging Symptoms
Weight Control
Post-Surgical Recovery
Always get acupuncture from a registered, trained and licensed professional.
