Flu, Colds and Immune Strengthening through Acupuncture/Chinese Medicine

As a result of the serious flu concerns in the Chicagoland area, I have been seeing an unusual large number of clients coming in this Winter for immune tonification. Chinese medicine is quite adept at strengthening the immune system, both in a specific way (a particular region of the body such as the lungs or the skin) or more generally. Typically we see a large number of people come in during the Fall and Winter months to build up their resistance to cold and flu pathogens that the person expects to have to confront over the Winter. This works quite well for reducing the number and intensity of upper respiratory infections in our patients.

Over the last week I have seen a surge in the number of clients seeking such immune strengthening. In particular we have been seeing, parents, teachers and retail workers - those folks who work with large groups of people and have the greatest concerns for exposure and thus wish to minimize their risk of contracting disease.  However people with other health concerns also seek out prophylactic care from their acupuncturists. In particular, my clients who are going through chemo- or radiation therapy and are more vulnerable to all pathogens, as well  as clients for whom being sick could accelerate the course of preexisting diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis and HIV.