Lessons from COVID: Part 3

In these challenging times, there is good news. For several thousand years, Chinese medicine has been promoting well-being and treating illnesses of all kinds. Even with something as potentially frightening as a pandemic, there are ways to treat sickness that address not only the symptoms themselves but also their deeper root causes.

The first part of the newsletter below has information about our experience treating a Chinese medicine understanding of COVID as well as helping people recover from the condition. The second half includes some ideas from past newsletters about promoting health and preventing disease.

  • Recovery from the virus We have treated many people recovering from the effects of COVID and the good news is that long list of possible symptoms are very treatable. From a lack of energy, respiratory and circulatory issues, digestive symptoms, temperature dysregulation, and pain, the combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine has been very effective in helping people recover from the infection as well as from what western medicine calls long-haul COVID.
  • Treating the cold that is COVID. From the view of Chinese medicine, viruses by their nature are cold. The first text from the very well-established, in depth School of Cold was published over 1,800 years ago and describes the process of contracting and developing what we in the west would now call viral infections. While we don’t see people in person if they have COVID, we have mailed many people herbs and have consistently seen very good results. Rather than treating the virus itself, we treat a Chinese medicine understanding of the condition—namely that it starts with cold—and how it can progress to create the wide range of symptoms.

Ideas from Past Newsletter

  • The importance of wellbeing. With the current realities of COVID, each of us has the ability to prevent sickness and promote well-being. Limiting or eliminating white sugar strengthens our surface immunity, which Chinese medicine calls Wei Qi. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night strengthens our overall energy, again increasing our immunity. Reducing stress–including excessive worry and fear about COVID– can also increase our overall energy, again increasing immunity. And breathing fresh air regularly strengthens the lungs, which for Chinese medicine is the organ most directly involved with the immune system. There are also very effective acupuncture treatments and herbal formulas to strengthen the immune system as well
  • Lessons from past epidemics Also part of the long history of Chinese medicine is the medical tradition that developed from past epidemics. Called The School of Heat, it was developed starting in the 14th century in response to the lack of effectiveness of other eastern traditions in treating potentially life-threatening sickness that spread quickly throughout China. In particular, epidemics happen because a significant number of people are out of balance–including having issues with their immune system–and the larger culture is also out of balance. In other words, epidemics happen because we are not healthy individually or collectively. This connection between individual and societal sickness is clear with what’s happening here in the US. We have 5% of the global population and over 20% of the global deaths from COVID despite spending more than twice as much money per person on medical care than any other country.
  • Where the mind goes the Qi follows Central to Chinese medicine is that what we think and feel affects us physically. Again, some of the more forward-thinking aspects of western medicine are starting to recognize the interconnection between the physical, mental and emotional aspects of our lives. And for several thousand years, eastern medicine has understood in great detail that we are whole people. For example, from an eastern view continuously elevated stress can weaken our energy in general and our immunity in particular. Quieting our mind and relaxing our emotions is an essential way to promote well-being during a pandemic.

In these challenging times, we are committed to providing safe, effective care to treat sickness, prevent disease and actively promote health. We look forward to seeing you at the clinic for treatments and herbs and are happy to answer questions through phone or email.

Wishing you, your family, and your community health, happiness, and strong immunity.

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