With the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of talk on what to do to combat the disease and what the right steps are for now and going forward. Social distancing has helped flatten the curve in this initial phase of the global response, but it is not a long term solution and was never designed for that. The purpose of social distancing is to not
overwhelm our hospitals and medical centers with more cases than we can handle, and it has definitely helped to do so. It is also there to give governments and society time to figure out what to do for the future. Right now there are a lot of questions regarding the virus and the future. Can you develop immunity after a coronavirus infection? (We don’t know). How long would it take to develop a vaccine? (Possibly several years). Or is a vaccine even possible? (We do not know). The United Nations has put forth a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) to help nations deal with pandemics in the future because this is unlikely to be the last time something like this occurs. Near the top of that list of goals is good health and well-being. This is where acupuncture comes in.
In previous blogs, I have talked about how acupuncture and Chinese medicine is particularly effective at preventative medicine, and promoting health and wellness, whereas western medicine is much more focused on fixing problems once they occur. Given the global pandemic, it is of vital importance that our immune systems are working at peak performance. Studies have shown that Acupuncture can increase and improve immune function for both those with compromised immune systems, and those who are otherwise relatively healthy. Regardless of what is causing your immune impairment, acupuncture can get your immune system working better. It does this in two ways. Stimulating immune response, and regulating other areas of the body which can impair immune function.
Acupuncture works on the immune system directly by activating your immune response and helping the body function at a higher level. A lot of things that we may find ourselves doing
right now (staying inside and being less physically active, etc.) can impair immune function. Acupuncture helps the immune system get back to work and work properly by stimulating the immune response which helps the body activate all the necessary cellular functions as needed, as well as help increase immune cell production. This can not only help prevent disease, but also help with autoimmune disorders as well.
The second way acupuncture helps improve immune function is by helping with everything else. The body is a set of interconnected systems. Acupuncture can work on the immune system itself, but other body systems can also have negative effects on it as well. Acupuncture can also boost immune function by helping regulate these other body systems as well. The main culprits here are mental emotional (anxiety/stress/depression/etc.), respiratory (asthma, allergies, etc.), digestive, and sleep. There are more, but these are the most common. Acupuncture can help improve all of these, which in turn will improve overall body function, including the immune system. This is increasingly important given the state of the world today and going into the future.
With the recent coronavirus pandemic, it has become vitally important to take better care of ourselves, not only for our own health, but for the health of those around us as well. Looking to the future, while we wait for governments to figure out a long term solution, this is one way we can help out that will also helps ourselves.
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