It's Autumn and it's the season of cool, dry air. Our immune system has to adapt to the change and we can become more susceptible to colds and possibly the flu. It's important to boost the immune system and protect ourselves from the seasonal change. Airborne microbes seem to travel more easily in the dry air, transported, for example, by wind when a cold front makes it's way through the region. The nose is the opening where pathogenic microbes can easily implant themselves; the nose being the direct connection to the lungs.
The skin is also a connection to the lungs and wind invasion through the skin can weaken our immunity if we aren't properly protected. It's important to protect the back of the neck, which when exposed can be a portal for wind invasion. In terms of acupuncture meridians, channels that lead to and through the internal organs, the nape of the neck is connected to the lungs. So it isn't unusual to contract a cold through simple exposure to the elements, something that everyone has experienced at one time or another.
In the acupuncture world, the Lung and Large Intestine meridians are paired. The lungs are where we take in the air and the large intestines are where we let go of waste. Emotions are related to the Lung and Large Intestine as well. Grief and sadness are associated with the Lung. When we cling to our grief and let it control our daily lives our immune system is often weakened when we do not properly let go of grief in due time. Qi, which is the mysterious force that moves and protects the body is
governed, or controlled, by the Lung. When immunity is low and qi is out
of balance, the action of qi is affected and the body will not properly
protect itself. Then the lungs are weakened and it's easier to become sick from any outside factors that invade the body.
Where does acupuncture fit into the picture? Acupuncture points along the Lung (yin) and Large Intestine (yang) meridians have functions that protect the body by not only boosting the immune system, but also helping the body move through emotions, balancing the ability to let go once the grieving process is supposed to be over. In terms of affecting the immune system, point Lung 7, located about an inch and a half above the base of the thumb, benefits the nape of the neck where a wind invasion is likely to take place. It also pacifies wind and phlegm that accumulates when a cold sets in. Lung 5, located on the thumb side of the crook of the elbow, is specifically indicated for coughing with or without phlegm, wheezing, fever, shivering, and even diarrhea. Large Intestine 11, located on the outside of the crook of the arm, lateral to Lung 5, is used to clear heat and eliminate wind, but is also a useful point to maintain and boost the immune system, helping the body protect itself from pathogenic factors that invade the body and create illness. These, in combination with other acupuncture points, are important, basic points that an acupuncturist will use to dispel cold symptoms as well as affect the body's ability to protect itself.
So consider an acupuncture treatment this season to protect yourself from colds and flu. Acupuncture brings balance to body, mind, and spirit, and when all of these are balanced we can live healthier lives. Be well!
