Can acupuncture and naturopathic medicine help the common cold?

Background On The Common Cold

Given the nature of the common cold and that it’s primarily caused by a viral infection, no antibiotic or western medicine has yet been able to cure it. Therefore, it’s a cold that we must suffer through until our bodies have healed itself and the symptoms have subsided and usually take 7-10 days to do so.

Nearly 30-50% of all common colds are caused by the rhinovirus followed by a slough of other viruses that may also hinder our health.

Common symptoms of the common cold:

According to the CDC, symptoms of the common cold include:

• gradual onset
• slight body aches
• fatigue
• sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat

Typically, common cold symptoms do not include a fever, body aches, chills, or chest discomfort/shortness of breath. Those symptoms point more to the flu.

How to prevent getting sick

The best way to prevent getting sick is to practice basic hygiene and old-fashion hand-washing! Also, to avoid touching eyes and face. Other precautionary steps to balance your immune system is to take your vitamins (especially Vitamin C, Zinc, Elderberry, and Vitamin D), sweating it out with regular exercise and sauna use, proper hydration, rest, and regular acupuncture, are all ways that you can prevent the onset of such an illness.

The process of using Acupuncture treatment to fight the effects of, or even treat the common cold has been studied several times.

Below, we will briefly look at one of those studies and their findings.

What does the research say? 

A team of Acupuncture students and staff members across five different Japanese Acupuncture schools chose 326 patients to be a part of the research group. A specific needling (the “Y Point”) was used bilaterally on the neck in order to determine the preventative and curative effects of manual acupuncture in relation to symptoms of the common cold.

The Results

Of the 326 students and staff to originally partake in the study, five had dropped out meaning that 321 total individuals finished the 2-week, 4 treatment studies. What they found was that statistically “significantly fewer [common cold] symptoms were reported in the questionnaire group than the control group.”

Each person’s body is different and so are their symptoms. Those that were involved in this study made mentioned that additional research should be done before any claims are made under this topic.

How does Acupuncture Affect the Body In This Study?

The point of the study was to see if acupuncture could decrease the symptoms of the common cold that were seen and felt by those being studied. Certain acupuncture points can help boost the immune system which is what this study was trying to induce.

Common acupuncture points to balance immune system:

 

● Lung 7 – Broken Sequence

   ○ Relieves Chills, Fever & Cough

   ○ Soothes Sore Throat

   ○ Releases exterior wind-heat and wind-cold

   ○ Relieves Headaches

● Large Intestine 4 – Union Valley

   ○ Relieves Headaches

   ○ Clears Congestions

   ○ Clears Lung Heat

Other Ways To Stay Healthy

Acupuncture can be a great way to get your immune system flowing as it should be. Other ways to stay healthy and keep your immune system in tip-top shape is to take Vitamin C, get plenty of sleep each night, avoid alcohol and other hindering depressants.

At Starting Point Acupuncture, Dr. Heintze offers integrative treatments to address whole body health. One of the unique things we offer is immune balance shots into acupuncture points known as Acupuncture Injection Therapy aka Biopuncture.

Contact our office at (425) 686-4498 to schedule your consult today with Dr. Heintze today to learn how we can help support your immune system! Telehealth aka Virtual Visits available now!

---

Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in Bothell, WA at her practice Starting Point Acupuncture. She is a pain specialist, seeing people who suffer from chronic pain, migraines, as well as digestive issues. Offering pain relief injections, acupuncture, facial rejuvenation, and nutrition consults. Most insurances accepted. Dr. Ellie Heintze is also the author of the book, A Starting Point Guide to Going Gluten-Free on Amazon. 

---

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15649831

http://www.petersenwellnessclinic.com/acupressure-points-boost-immune/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2998502/