Acupuncture for Immunity: Health is Wealth

Every so often, I find there is a shift in the collective subconscious and suddenly everyone is talking about the same thing. With the global Coronavirus pandemic front and center in everyone’s minds these days, it seems that all anyone has been talking about is their health and immunity and what can be done to improve it. Questions like “How can I improve my health overall?” or “Are there any supplements I can take to help boost my immunity?”, have been cropping up again and again in my Telehealth sessions. Of course, the answer is different for everyone and will depend on if there are any underlying conditions and where your health and immunity are at today. 

That being said, let’s first understand what immunity is with some definitions: 

• Immune System: a system of cells and organs designed to protect you against “foreign” invaders or “bad” bacteria

• Immune Response: the chain reaction of events that occur when your immune system detects those foreign invaders

• Immunity: the body’s overall ability to create immune responses to the appropriate things

Why is that important to know? Your general health and wellbeing relies on how well your immune system works in initiating the proper immune response. When we talk about immunity, we're typically referring to the response and how it may be affecting how you feel. Some people find that their immunity is poor because they either have over or under active immune responses. The reasons for this are plentiful (and too long to get into here!), but it should be noted that this atypical response can be the reason for a myriad of health issues ranging from allergic reactions and allergies to gut and intestinal problems. 

Two big factors that play a part in our immunity are lifestyle and diet. Getting some regular exercise, establishing healthy sleep habits, and maintaining a “clean” diet with few inflammatory foods and the right balance of macronutrients are all ways in which you can boost your immunity naturally by creating the right environments for our body to produce the correct response. In addition to those changes, things like reducing stress, consuming immune-supporting herbs, and spending quality time outdoors to soak up sun are also some manageable and simple ways to pump up your immunity this spring.

While it’s impossible for us to predict everything, we can certainly help with the stress reduction through acupuncture and immune-supporting herbs and supplements. Acupuncture has been proven to decrease leukocyte (white blood cell) values (Kou et al., 2005). What this tells us is that through the use of acupuncture, we can support a healthy and well-circulating immune system which supports appropriate immune responses. The research shows: acupuncture really works! 

The other benefit of acupuncture in the immune response is that it reduces stress, which has a huge effect on health. When you are stressed, your body enacts its most innate fight or flight response, which introduces cortisol and all sorts of stress response hormones into your body. Over time this will damage your body and put you in a chronic state of “flight” where secondary functions - such as digestion or reproduction - are thrown out of whack since they are not considered essential. 

Herbs are the pharmaceutical arm to Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM), and they allow us to accelerate the acupuncture response through careful selection of herbs and supplements. Some people are curious about what single herbs will help alleviate fatigue or ease allergies, but to that I say there is no “one size fits all” approach in TCM. It’s a matter of working with your body to create the proper formula. For most who need an immunity boost, that usually involves herbs like ginseng and astragalus which are good for reducing fatigue and increasing immunity.  

Supplements differ from Chinese Herbs in that they are single ingredient vital nutrients you should already be getting through nutrition, but may not be getting enough of in order to receive a therapeutic effect. The supplements I suggest to everyone looking for a little bit of an immunity boost are: A high quality multivitamin with minerals, 1000mg liposomal Vitamin C, 20mg Zinc, 500IU Vitamin D, Elderberry, and a probiotic to encourage optimal gut health. 

The key to using acupuncture for immunity is the knowledge that good health requires maintenance and upkeep, just like staying in shape. Using a three prong approach of diet, lifestyle, and stress reduction via acupuncture is an excellent course of treatment that has been proven to work. 

References:

Kou, W., Bell, J. D., Gareus, I., Pacheco-López, G., Goebel, M. U., Spahn, G., ... & Dobos, G. J. (2005). Repeated acupuncture treatment affects leukocyte circulation in healthy young male subjects: a randomized single-blind two-period crossover study. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 19(4), 318-324.

No sanitizer? No problem! Homemade Hand Sanitizer Recipe

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of hand washing right now: it’s the most effective way to stop the spread of germs and viruses, period. But in the event you don’t have access to running water (think: on your next big supermarket run), hand sanitizer is definitely effective in a pinch. Unfortunately, with so much in flux in the world, it's becoming nearly impossible to find any in stores. What’s a guy or gal to do? Well…make her own, of course! Below is a recipe for homemade sanitizer. Unfortunately there is really no such thing as “all natural” sanitizer, because the main ingredient for any disinfectant is usually alcohol, though there are a number the CDC recommends and you can find a list here, as well as a good explanation for the difference between cleaning and sanitizing.

But back to our recipe! The most important ingredient is alcohol and the percentage of alcohol counts. A bottle of 99% alcohol is best, but if you don’t have that on hand or can’t find any, you can also use 75% or 60%, though you will not be able to dilute those as much. Please know that the bottle of vodka you have laying around will not count, as the alcohol content, while strong enough to get you drunk, is not strong enough for proper sanitization. 

Ingredients:

• Isopropyl alcohol (99-75% recommended)

• Glycerol or glycerin (to keep alcohol from becoming too drying - if you can’t find any or don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out, but don’t forget to apply moisturizer after applying the sanitizer)

• Hydrogen peroxide (used to inactivate any contamination in the solution)

• Distilled water (or boil water and wait for it to cool down)

• Essential oil of your choosing (for scent)

• Spray bottle (this should be sterilized before being used)

Directions: mix 12oz of alcohol, 2 teaspoons of glycerol, 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, 3oz of water (less if you are using lower concentration alcohol - ¾ of your solution should be alcohol) and 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends allowing any mixture be left to sit for 72 hours to allow any spores present in the mixture or bottles to be destroyed. 

Recommendations for essential oils are: Tea tree oil for its antimicrobial ability or Thieves oil for its immunity boosting power. Clove and eucalyptus are in the Thieves oil blend, so they can be used alone or together if you can’t find Thieves oil.

Acupuncture for Allergies...it's AMAZING!!

Asthma and allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever), food allergy, and eczema, are common for all age groups in the United States. Folks in Memphis, TN are particularly susceptible due to all the tree pollen, ragweed and grass. Allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. with an annual cost in excess of $18 billion. More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year. Surprisingly, it is among the country’s most common, but overlooked, diseases.

An allergy attack occurs when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance, called an allergen, which could be something you eat, inhale into your lungs, or touch. An allergen is any chemical substance of non-microbial origin that triggers an immune response in your body. An immune response is when your immune system, thinking the allergen is a foreign invader, overreacts by producing antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). The IgE molecules attach to mast cells, which are white blood cells that are part of the immune response and are plentiful in the lungs, skin, and linings of the nose and gastrointestinal tract. The next time a person is exposed to that allergen, these IgE-primed mast cells release powerful chemicals, which in turn cause the allergic reaction, commonly seen as itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. Unfortunately, there is no cure for allergies, however, they can be managed through proper treatment and prevention.

Some steps you can take today to help alleviate symptoms and prevent allergies from getting in the way of living your life include:

1. Acupuncture is incredibly effective at helping mediate the symptoms associated with seasonal allergies. In fact, in 2015 The American Academy of Otolaryngology’s Clinical Practice Guideline recommended acupuncture for patients with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) who were interested in nonpharmacological solutions. Acupuncture is recognized as an effective alternative to medical therapies, and is associated with a reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life for patients.

2. Chinese herbal medicine, which is the pharmaceutical arm of acupuncture, is well known to help boost immunity naturally in order to prevent an allergic outbreak from occurring in the first place. Specifically, magnolia flower powder ( “Xin Yi San”) has been found to reduce nasal symptoms in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (hay fever) due to its diverse immunomodulatory effects. This is far from the only Chinese medicine formula effective at treating allergies, so please be sure to speak with your Chinese Medicine practitioner about what formula would be right for you. 

3. Supplements such as Quercetin, which is a naturally occurring antioxidant, have been found to have an antihistamine effect, reducing allergic outbreak. Bromelain, which will oftentimes come with Quercetin, and is found in pineapples, is another well known anti-inflammatory said to be effective at treating respiratory distress. 

When all else fails, don’t forget these two important tips:

1. Wipe yourself down with a small towel when walking into the house. The reason being, that when we enter our homes, we’re bringing in small bits from the outside as well, which will exacerbate any allergic reaction. 

2. Neti pots are thought to be useful for allergy season for the same reasons - because you are clearing out any potential allergens, bacteria, or mucus that could lead to an allergic response. 

Please note that anaphylaxis is the most severe allergic reaction. Symptoms include flushing, tingling of the palms of the hands, soles of the feet or lips; light-headedness, and chest-tightness. If not treated, these can progress into seizures, cardiac arrhythmia, shock, and respiratory distress or even death. If you think you are experiencing any of these signs, call 911 immediately.