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How To Treat Colds With Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture)

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During the cold season, many people get the flu and colds. But there are always ways to prevent it. If one has already acquired it, there’s always a natural treatment for it. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), colds are mostly caused by the penetration of “wind” and “cold”. This post focuses on How to get colds under control with the natural treatment methods of TCM.

Read also: How the weather affects our health.

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the life force Qi in the body is of great importance. Qi should flow harmoniously in the body, then we are healthy and mentally balanced. Different types of Qi with different tasks are described.

Defense Qi plays a crucial role in colds

The “defense Qi” circulates in the skin and opens or closes our pores. When cold penetrates from outside, the harmonious flow of qi is initially blocked on the body surface and the pores close in the initial stage. Symptoms of the onset of a cold include shivering, aversion to the cold or wind, and sore throat.

In the further course of a cold, the cold or the wind can penetrate deeper into the body and block the flow of Qi in the acupuncture channels and also in the internal organs. The blockage creates heat. Symptoms at this stage are high fever, body aches, great thirst, a red throat, and possibly a red face.

Self-treatment of an incipient cold according to TCM

Basically, the treatment of colds is difficult because the disorder pattern changes very quickly. You should start therapy as early as possible. Then the chances are good that the cold won’t set in. Therapy suggestions for the initial stage of a cold:

Nutrition / herbal therapy

Ginger tea against the internal cold. Fresh ginger (Sheng Jiang) is a root that has a firm place in both Chinese nutritional therapy and herbal medicine. Ginger is warm and hot. With its warmth, it drives away the cold and the sharpness opens the skin pores again. In this way, “cold” and “wind” can be driven away. Preparation: Cut 3-4 slices from a ginger root and cook them in a saucepan with approx. 300 ml water for 10 minutes. If the tea is too hot, you can add a teaspoon of honey.

Acupressure

With acupressure, as with acupuncture one can influence the harmonious flow of Qi in the channels. While acupuncture needles are pierced into defined points, in acupressure these areas are massaged with the finger for about a minute with gentle circular movements.

The acupressure point Di 4 (Di stands for the large intestine, this is the name of the acupuncture pathway) is on the hand on half of the bisector between the metacarpal bones of the thumb and forefinger in the muscles. The best thing to do is to knead the point with two fingers in the pincer grip from above and below. This point helps in the removal of cold and wind.

The point Gb 20 (Gb stands for gallbladder) is also an important acupressure point for the early stages of a cold. It is located on the head just below the occipital scale in the lateral posterior dimple. You can gently massage this point with both index fingers at the same time. Usually, this point is also sensitive. He drives away the wind.

Prevent Colds from Occurring

Ultimately, prevention is still better than cure. This is how you prevent colds. Rest helps recovery and prevents further illness. In TCM, a harmonious way of life is the most important building block for staying healthy. The emperor’s previous doctors were paid if the emperor remained healthy.

Sleep and nutrition: One of the pillars is getting enough sleep. It depends on sleep before midnight. From the perspective of TCM, this is the time when the best regeneration takes place. You should also pay attention to a balanced diet that corresponds to your constitution. Most people, for example, tolerate cooked or steamed foods better than raw vegetables.

Movement: The last pillar is movement. Perhaps you have already seen pictures of Beijing in the morning. At this time, people practicing tai chi, a type of gymnastic movement aimed at getting the qi moving in the morning and moving the muscles, gather in many squares. It doesn’t have to be tai chi, but can also be a brisk walk or a bike ride to work.

 

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