Your Immune System and Acupuncture
Modern science is catching up with the wisdom of ancient Chinese medicine. A study published by the National Institutes of Health compared several studies to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for stimulating or regulating the immune system using different methods of acupuncture. The conclusion? Traditional Chinese Medicine CAN benefit immune health.
Do your patients know that acupuncture helps boost your immune system?
Having discussions with patients about boosting their immune defenses with acupuncture is really easy.
I discuss acupuncture’s immune-boosting effects with every patient, every time they come in. Patients appreciate knowing that acupuncture aids their immune systems—now more than ever.
Amidst all of the uncertainties in the world, it brings patients great peace and comfort to know that YOU, their acupuncturist, can help strengthen their immune system.
In today’s post I’m sharing three easy “boost your immune system” discussions which which can be tied back to AcuGraph analysis.
1. Ancient Theory—Modern Analysis
More than 5000 years ago, ancient Chinese medicine doctors got the theory behind strengthening the immune system right.
- They knew that “external evil influences” could enter your body and make you sick.
- So, they developed systems using acupuncture points, pathways and herbs to help the body fight the “evil qi”.
- They understood the importance of preventative medicine. They didn’t wait until you were sick to treat you. Instead, they used acupuncture to strengthen the body, thus preventing illness.
Here we are 5000 years later. The language has evolved—but the treatment strategies are still the same. Instead of an “external evil influence or evil qi,” we use the terms like ‘virus’ and ‘pathogen’. Modern AcuGraph Digital Meridian Analysis helps us SEE imbalances in the acupuncture pathways before the patient experiences symptoms, which allows us to practice preventative medicine every time we treat the patient.
The goal is always to balance the acupuncture pathways. When the acupuncture pathways are balanced, then the immune system is naturally stronger.
2. Stress Weakens the Immune System
Be aware of neck, back and shoulder tension. When you are feeling stressed, your body holds onto tension in the Small Intestine and Urinary Bladder muscular pathways.
According the acupuncture theory, blocked energy in these muscular pathways weakens the immune system.
When I see an imbalance in the Small Intestine and/or the Urinary Bladder channels, my conversation with the patient goes something like this: “In today’s acupuncture session, we’ll work on resolving the tension you are experiencing in your neck, back and shoulders so that your immune system can function at it’s highest level.”
3. Lung and Large Intestine—Extra Attention in the Fall
In Japanese style Five Element Acupuncture Theory the Lung and Large Intestine pathways need extra attention during the fall.
The lung is in charge of breathing in what we need. The Large Intestine is in charge of letting go of what no longer serves us.
When the Lung and the Large Intestine pathways are in balance, the immune system functions well. When these pathways are out of balance, patients may experience symptoms such as asthma, wheezing, colds, cough, phlegm, congestion, skin rashes, eczema, diarrhea or constipation.
If AcuGraph shows that the Lung and the Large Intestine pathways are out of balance, I let my patient know that their session will include treatment of the these pathways to help strengthen their immune system.
Watch the Recording from our Free Class!
On Friday, September 18th, we hosted a free, live class about boosting the immune system with acupuncture. We talked about analyzing the graph, some favorite acupuncture points, and how to select AcuHerbs for boosting the immune system.
By request, we’ve made the recording available to all on our public Youtube channel! The recording is about an hour long. You’ll learn a LOT! You can watch the recording here:
While you’re there, be sure to subscribe to the Miridia Technology YouTube Channel so you don’t miss out on all the great training videos we post! Click the graphic below too subscribe.
FREE Patient Education Video: Acupuncture Boosts your Immune System
Patients love AcuGraph. They are always grateful when I explain that their session also includes acupuncture points to boost their immune system. I hope that some of my patient conversations will inspire YOU too! To help achieve that goal, I’ve orchestrated the creation of this FREE patient education video. You can use it in YOUR clinic to educate your patients about acupuncture’s immune-boosting power.
This is the first video in a series of patient education videos we’ll be releasing over the next few months.
Give it a watch! Then share, share, share. You can send the link to patients before or after their appointments, share the video on your social media channels, or even embed the video on your website! It is yours to use for patient education! Your patients are going to love it!
I hope you learned something valuable here! Stay tuned for our next class, coming in October 2020! In the meantime, if you have questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help! Wishing you and your patients well as we enter the holiday season.
You can see the schedule of our upcoming live classes, and sign up for reminders, at www.AcuGraph.com/Hangouts!
Dr. Kimberly
Dr. Kimberly Thompson, DACM, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Technology Clinical Educator
Miridia Technology
kimberly@miridiatech.com
Reference:
Liang, F., Cooper, E. L., Wang, H., Jing, X., Quispe-Cabanillas, J. G., & Kondo, T. (2015). Acupuncture and Immunity. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015, 1-2. doi:10.1155/2015/260620
