Catching a cold is a real bummer. All kidding aside, though, the uncomfortable symptoms, the time away from work, the potential of infecting the rest of your family are all serious problems when it comes to cold and flu season. We’ve all roamed the aisles at the drugstore looking for a pill to help relieve the symptoms of a cold or flu, all the while knowing that we just have to “wait it out” until the illness passes. But Chinese medicine has a wealth of natural remedies that not only help lessen cold or flu symptoms, they also help treat the actual infections themselves. If taken at the first signs of a cold or flu, Chinese herbs can help you get over an illness more quickly and have a stronger immune system for it in the end. The good news is that, if you’re reading this article, then you have access to these natural remedies and the licensed practitioners who can help prescribe the perfect herbal treatments for when you need them.

When treating viral or bacterial infections naturally, there are two important mechanisms by which Chinese medicine works. The first is by fighting the illness itself and the second is by supporting our natural immunity. In order to treat the infection, there are several specific herbal formulas that you can have on hand. The main focus of these formulas is to address the symptoms of a cold or flu but they all have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties so they’re actually fighting the infection, too. If these formulas are taken at the first signs of a cold or even the flu, they can help decrease the severity of the symptoms and shorten your “sick time” by almost half. The following are the names of our clinic’s most popular cold and flu remedies and the symptoms they treat. If you know you are prone to certain kinds of illness—say, you always get some kind of intestinal flu each year—then having a formula at home that helps this kind of illness will help you tremendously in overcoming it.

• Cold Away – this modern Chinese herbal formula treats all the common cold symptoms: runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, mild body aches and headache.
• Yin Qiao – this classical Chinese formula whose name comes from two of its ingredients is a staple in any herbal medicine cabinet to treat milder symptoms at the onset of a cold like a sore throat and a stuffy or runny nose.
• Flu Ban – is a blend of herbs and homeopathic remedies that address the severe symptoms of the flu like chills and fever, body aches and fatigue. It can also be taken for a cold.
• Early Comfort – is a classical Chinese herbal formula that can treat vomiting and diarrhea associated with an intestinal flu.
• Antiphlogistic Formula – is a blend of very strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial herbs that address the early stages of strep throat or any illness that begins with a very sore throat.

The second and very important component of treating infections naturally is supporting the natural immunity of the “host.” This is what makes Chinese medicine so powerful and what sets it apart from western medicine’s approach to colds and flu. By supporting our immune systems during an illness, we help our body overcome it more quickly while simultaneously strengthening our overall immunity. There are several Chinese herbs that can be taken as prevention throughout the season and others that can be taken during an illness to help fight off the offending infection.

• Power Mushrooms – Mushrooms are known for their immune enhancing and anti-cancer capabilities. This blend of Chinese mushroom extracts can be taken whether you are sick or are just trying to prevent yourself from catching what everyone else has.
• Astragalus – this single herb is a powerful immune stimulator that helps prevent colds and flu. A note about astragalus though: it should only be taken when you are NOT sick. If you catch an infection, switch to something less stimulating, like the Power Mushrooms. We sell astragalus at our clinic as a powder, but it can also be found at your natural foods store as a tincture or pill.

Having one or two of these formulas on hand can mean the difference between getting sick for two weeks, or making it through an illness with a little less time and a lot less suffering. Of course, there’s no substitute for lots of rest, plenty of fluids (and maybe an acupuncture treatment!) to help you recover swiftly. But being prepared for this challenging season will help you to feel less powerless against the forces of the common cold and even the H1N1 virus. If you still have questions, talk to your acupuncturist about which formulas you might want to have at home.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine offer an effective, time-tested approach to enhancing fertility and treating infertility. In fact, acupuncture has been used successfully for infertility treatment for thousands of years.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used in combination with conventional reproductive medical care or as a primary treatment approach. Acupuncture can be effective for women taking fertility drugs or reproductive technology techniques (such as IVF or IUI).
Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine can also be effective as a stand-alone approach to treat infertility for those not undergoing conventional medical treatment. Acupuncture helps to regulate hormonal activity, thus regulating menstruation, ovulation, and pregnancy.
A recent study from the British Medical Journal found that among women who received acupuncture and IVF, the pregnancy rates were 65% higher and the rates of live births were nearly twice as high than among women who received IVF with sham acupuncture or no acupuncture.

Acupuncture helps to reduce stress and decrease the hypersympathetic nervous system response. Studies have shown that high stress levels decrease the likelihood of conceiving. Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate chemical changes within the uterine lining, thickening the endometrium, and preparing the uterus for implantation.

In men, acupuncture can improve sperm motility, volume and concentration as well as increase libido. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, optimum fertility enhancement would involve a course of treatments with the aim of nourishing the Kidney Essence and regulating the menstrual cycle as well as clearing any pathogens that may be interfering with the natural process of conception.

Acupuncture a Brief History

Acupuncture and moxabustion have been used in the Far East to restore, promote, and maintain good health for over 5000 years. The first acupuncture needles were made from stone, and then later from bronze, gold and silver. The first known medical account of acupuncture was The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen), which dates from around 300 BC.

Acupuncture is rooted in the Daoist philosophy of change, growth, balance, and harmony. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic outlines the principles of natural law and the phases of life – yin and yang, the five elements, the organ system and the meridian network along which the vital acupuncture points are located. These records also contain details of pathology and physiology, which some 2,000 years later provide the theoretical foundation for acupuncture today.

Although acupuncture is used far more extensively in China than in the West, the last few decades have seen huge growth in people seeking the benefits of this safe and highly effective treatment.

How Acupuncture Works

The ancient Chinese believed that there is a universal life energy, called Chi, present in all things ranging from infinitely tiny molecules to living breathing human beings. 

This Chi is said to circulate throughout the body along specific pathways or meridians. As long as this energy flows freely throughout the meridians, health is maintained, but once the flow of energy is blocked, the homeostatic system is disrupted resulting in pain or illness. 

Visualize if you will, rivers that flood and cause disasters or an electrical grid short-circuiting that causes blackouts etc. This is what happens to our somatic and spiritual landscapes when our Chi is not flowing harmoniously. The insertion of needles into specific points on these “channels” allows for the manipulation and harmonization of ones Chi, which results in improved health, and thus, increased fertility.