Treatment
of Colds and Flus with Acupuncture in Frederick
Why
are so Many Americans turning to Acupuncture during Cold and Flu Season?
By
Ryan Diener, L.Ac., Dipl. CH, MSOM, Holistic Health Associates
The
flu is “for the birds” and it should stay that way. While much of
America frets over the
slim possibility of an invasion by the birds (Hitchcock was quite the
Nostradamus!), the
truth is that there have been 150 deaths worldwide due to avian flu
over the past 10 years,
almost all of them in Asia and Eastern Europe. On the other hand, the
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 5 to 20 percent of Americans
are afflicted
with the flu during each flu season, which typically lasts from
November to March.
They estimate that in the United States alone, more than 200,000 people
are hospitalized,
and about 36,000 people die from the flu and its complications every
year (National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, March 2006).
While the flu vaccination,
or flu shot, is helpful to the elderly as well as some
immuno-compromised groups,
it is obviously not enough. With children being 2 to 3 times more
likely to catch colds
and flus than adults, prevention is the key for any family.
While
the common cold and the flu are both due to respiratory viruses, a cold
rarely leads to
fevers, headache, exhaustion and dehydration, all common symptoms of a
flu virus. Both
the cold and the flu are due to airborne viruses, meaning the risk
factor is increased in
highly populated areas such as subways, crowded homes and schools. It
may take 1 to 4
days to show symptoms once infected, and the contagious period is
roughly 7 days from
infection. Therefore the contagious period may begin even before
symptoms appear,
and may last for 3 to 6 days after the symptoms appear (National
Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, March 2006). Common symptoms of both the cold
and the
flu are body aches (especially the upper back and neck), chills, dry
cough, sore throat and
stuffy nose. Children have the additional possibility of ear infections
and gastrointestinal
symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These symptoms are uncommon
in adults.
A
common course of treatment for these symptoms is the use of nasal
sprays, Tylenol and aspirin,
none of which get to the root of the problem, or prepare one for future
encounters with
the dreaded virus. It is well known that we require an abundance of
fluids and rest when
fighting off colds and flus, but is there something else we can do to
keep these “bad guys”
away? Acupuncture, herbs and vitamins are invaluable in the
preventative phase and
early stages of these viruses.
Acupuncture
While
we know the root of colds and flus are viruses, acupuncturists look for
the events that
precipitate the contraction of the virus. An acupuncturist looks at the
propensity of certain
individuals to be susceptible to an invasion with a greater amount of
“cold” signs versus
“heat” signs. The acupuncturist also looks at where one may fall on a
continuum of
6 stages of cold induced disorder. Chinese medical theory states that
as each of the 6 stages
progress, the virus moves deeper internally, starting at the head and
progressing through
the lungs, stomach, intestines, liver and finally the kidneys. Of great
importance in
any clinic is the acupuncturist’s ability to determine the stage to
which a person has progressed
and which points to needle based on that stage. As this system provides
such detailed
organization, the treatments can be much more effective than many of
the alternatives
on the market, especially if treatment begins in the early stages of
infection.
Chinese
Herbal Therapy
As the Chinese medical model applies to both acupuncture and Chinese
herbal therapy, there
are specific herbal remedies dependent upon the stage of the disorder
as well as a person’s
constitutional traits. For example, if a patient suffers from body
aches and chills (first
stage traits) and has a history of high blood pressure (constitutional
trait), some of the
warming herbs in a first stage formula would require substitution as
not to aggravate the
high blood pressure. This makes it imperative to find a qualified
clinical herbalist to formulate
the remedy for you.
Vitamins
Vitamins
are an essential preventative measure for children and adults as we
enter the fall and
winter. As a general baseline, adults should consider a multivitamin as
well as an increase
in Vitamin C as the weather turns. Youngsters should take a powdered, chewable
or liquid vitamin blend specifically developed for children.
Ryan
Diener is an acupuncturist and herbalist who became cofounder and
Director of Holistic Health Associates in downtown Frederick. Ryan
enjoys teaching, counseling and working with his patients to improve
their mental and physical wellbeing, and engaging them to live up to
their highest potentials. He may be contacted at Acupuncture
Frederick MD or (301) 6201414.
