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You do everything right, you work-out daily, eat right, take your vitamins, and all of your supplements, and WHAM! You get sick, it happens, everybody gets sick at some point in their life. For some, it’s just a quick weekend thing. For others, it can last for several days and even weeks. Why is it that some people always get sick whenever there is a bug going around and others don’t? It all comes down to your immune system. Everyone’s immune system is different. People who seem to get sick all the time have a weak or compromised immune system, while people who don’t get sick as much have a stronger immune system. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help boost and strengthen your Immune system. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is probably one of the best and least invasive ways to boost the immune system, not just during the winter months, but all year long.
In TCM, the immune system is called Wei Qi (pronounced “way chee”). The Wei Qi is closely associated with the internal organs, specifically the lungs. When the energy of the lungs is well-balanced, Wei Qi is strong and can easily fight off any external attacks. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs dominate the skin and breathing. If lung function is deficient or compromised in any way, then the body is more open to external pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Common symptoms of decreased Wei Qi or immunity include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, headaches, fever, and/or chills.
TCM is a medical system that has been around for nearly 4,000 years. There are many tools in the kit of a TCM practitioner. Probably the most commonly used tools for building Wei Qi are acupuncture and herbal formulas. Acupuncture uses hair-thin stainless steel, single-use needles that are placed on specific acupressure points that can boost immunity and balance hormones. When the hormones are stressed and unbalanced, illness can occur. Acupuncture points associated with Wei Qi can strengthen the circulation of energy and blood, which will then boost the body’s defense mechanisms, thus helping to prevent illness. Regular acupuncture treatments can also cause the brain to increase T-cells in the body. T-cells destroy bacteria and viruses. Acupuncture needles provoke the body’s immune response by sending T-cells and white cells to the needle sites to fight off the invaders. These effects can last for several days, which keeps immunity higher than normal.
Chinese botanicals are another great way to build up Wei Qi. Any herb or herb combination that boosts or enhances the immune system will keep the body functioning at its optimal level. In TCM, there are many individual herbs that boost the Qi and some specifically boost the Wei Qi.
One other tool that is within the scope of TCM is Tai Chi. The Chinese exercise practice of Tai-Chi can significantly boost the body’s immune system response to virus infection and may, in particular, help ward off painful shingles outbreaks in older people, a new study has found.
TCM and all of its modalities can be very helpful in staying well and healthy. When added to the practices of proper sleep and nutrition, drinking lots of water, and mild exercise, TCM will help keep the body’s immune system healthy. And hopefully, if illness does occur, it will only be mild. Here’s to your health!
If you are interested in learning more ways TCM can help improve your immune system, call now to set up an appointment with one of our Acupuncturists.
