During the winter season, most people experience common cold and flu. This seemingly minor condition significantly affects one’s quality of life and may lead to severe complications that are very harmful to the body, such as pneumonia, nephritis, and rheumatic fever. Common cold and flu are viral infections that western medicine may not treat well. However acupuncture and oriental medicine have very positive results.

In the early stage of the common cold or flu, patients usually have chills, fever, headache, aching of the body, stuffy nose and running nose, fatigue, sore throat, some patients have reduced appetite, or cough.

In traditional Chinese medicine, diagnose this disease using a pattern differentiation such as wind heat or wind cold patterns. Acupuncture and herbs are given according to your symptoms.

Acupuncture is commonly used for dispersing wind cold or clearing heat to treat common cold or flu. Acupuncture combined with herbs is much more effectively.

In Chinese medicine theory the pathogenic factors should be given a way to go out of the body. There are three methods for elimination of wind cold /heat pathogens from the body. Promoting sweat forces the disease out through perspiration. Inducing diuresis can eliminate dampness, heat and/or toxin by promoting urination; stimulating bowel movement facilitates the elimination of accumulated heat, toxin, and blood stasis.

For treatment of common cold, herbs are used for promoting sweating. Tuina (acupressure) can relieve the symptoms too. We do Tuina on special points that can relieve the headache and stuffy nose immediately. Tuina is the name we use for Chines massage. You may prefer Tuina as a treatment if you are sensitive to acupuncture needles.

If you don’t like the taste of herbal tea made from raw herbs, we have patent formula capsules or pills for you.

In addition, pediatric Tuina (Chinese massage for children) gives a very good result for children under 5 years old. There is no pain, simple techniques such as mild kneading, rolling and nipping can resolve the common cold, cough, diarrhea, constipation, etc.

Herb preparation is not difficult. It is just like cooking soup. Soak herbs in a pot for 30 minutes, cook it with high heat to bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low cook another 10 minutes, strain the decoction, reserve the liquid, and the herbs for second time cooking. Combine the liquid from both cooking and divide into 4 equal doses. Drink warm one dose each with the morning and evening meals. After drinking the tea stay well-covered in bed. Patient should experience slight sweating, while common cold symptoms will disappear quickly.

For common cold or flu just a couple of acupuncture treatments and two to three doses of herbal formula are needed. You will be amazed by the results and you will choose the acupuncture and oriental medicine again to relieve your common cold or flu.