Acupuncture and Immunity

by Warwick Poon

As we enter the season for colds and flu's, Chinese Medicine has some advice to offer.  Firstly, if you have a strong meridian system, the ability of the cold to penetrate it is reduced. Likewise, the ability of the system to purge an invasion of cold energy is also more enhanced.  In Western terms this means that you need a strong immune system.
When encountering a cold environment, a person will naturally tense up and try to reduce the opportunities of the potential invasion of cold energy by physically tensing and reducing the size of the meridian doorways, (acupuncture points). However if the cold is strong, it will insinuate itself into the system of meridians and begin to disrupt the flow of healthy Qi.  During the course of the next sleep period, the Wei Qi (immune system or army Qi) will go deep into the meridians and dislodge the invaders, with all the might that is has available.  If it cannot do this over the course of two night's sleep, then the invader will begin the major disruptions that manifest as a cold or 'flu.  In Western terms this is associated with the incubation period.  The strength of Wei Qi is a function of kidney yin, liver and gall bladder. The strength of the initial resistance (closing down of the points) is a function of kidney yang and lung.  To assist your kidney yin and liver, you will need more and better sleep, and it also helps to keep your emotions under control. To assist with kidney yang and lung, more exercise is suggested.
Many years ago, during a period of history that was marked by epidemics and pandemics, Chinese Medicine noted and wrote down a system of treating cold invasion that is still in use today. This is called the six divisions or Shang Han Lun system for diagnosing and removing the cold invasion.
The outermost layer of meridians will either show signs of:
damp, with less urine being produced,
or heat, with rashes and itches,
or water, with sweating
or dry, with no sweating.
The second deeper layer will show a high fever, and the third layer is half way into the body, and will demonstrate alternating chills and fevers.
This is certainly not the only way of diagnosing and treating cold invasion, but from my thirty odd years of experience, (and many of you know how odd they have been!) it is certainly faster and more consistent than the others that I have tried. So, next time that you come in, if you ask for assistance removing a cold, the only questions that you will need to answer will be: "Do you have chills, fever, more or less urine, rash or itch and are you sweating?