Treatment for
Influenza "common cold" by Lars Sandrini
The common cold is a normal exogenous illness that affects us all. It manifests as a runny nose, cough, headache, chills, fever, and a superficial pulse. It can occur all year round, but is most common in autumn and winter. The common cold is caused by exogenous wind, which is often mixed with other pathogenic factors. These can include cold, heat, summer-heat, and dampness. Wind and cold most often occur in winter and autumn, while wind and heat often occur in spring and summer, and damp-heat occurs in the latter part of summer.
1. Wind-cold: Slight fever without sweating, aversion to cold, headache, runny nose, itchy throat, cough with thin white sputum, thin white tongue coating, rapid superficial pulse.
2. Wind-heat: High fever, chills, sweating, aversion to wind, headache, blocked nose with yellow snot, dry mouth, desire to drink, yellow thick sputum, thin yellow tongue coating, rapid superficial pulse.
Figure 2You acupuncturists say you're tough, try me, chickens.
3. Damp-heat: High fever, no sweating, headache as if the head is wrapped, fatigue, sensitivity and pain in the chest, bloated stomach, loose stools, cough with white sputum, thick greasy or yellow greasy tongue coating, rapid soft pulse.
Figure 3don't just use the needles, but also your brain when treating.
Points and procedure.
1. Wind-cold. Remove wind. Dispel cold from the body surface. Improve lung function.
Lieque (LU 7) Fengmen (BL 12)
Fengchi (GB 20) Hegu (LI 4)
Explanation: LU 7 is a luo point and has a function that makes cough disappear quickly. (For acute cough, LU 6 is used). BL 12 is used to improve Qi circulation in the lung meridian and remove wind-cold from the body surface, since the Taiyang meridian governs the body surface. GB 20 is used to eliminate external factors on the body's exterior. LI 4 has a powerful effect on both internal and external functions of the body; in this context, as a yuan source point, it enhances the function of the other points on external influences, preventing the illness from becoming chronic. (EX 3 for headache and LI 20 for runny nose).
Use regular needles and leave them in for 20-30 minutes, stimulating the needles 2-3 times. It is effective to use moxa on BL 12 and GB 20 after needle treatment.
2. Wind-heat. Eliminate wind, remove heat and improve the circulation of lung Qi.
Dazhui (DU 14) Quchi (LI 11)
Hegu (LI 4) Yuji (LU 10) Chize (LU 5)
Explanation: DU 14 is the command point for all yang meridians and is used to dispel wind-heat and reduce fever. LI 4 and LI 11 are Yuan source and He-sea points, connected to the lung meridian, and can clear heat from the lung meridian. LU 10 is a xing spring point and, together with LU 5, which is a he-sea point, removes pathogenic heat from the lung meridian, cleanses the throat, resolves phlegm, and alleviates cough. (LU 11 for tonsillitis; EX 3 is pricked with a special needle to induce bleeding, thereby dispelling heat and fever).
Use regular needles for 15-20 minutes, stimulating them 2-3 times. Use a special needle to induce bleeding at DU 14 and LU 11.
Treatment continues.
3. Damp-heat. Remove summer heat, remove dampness.
Kongzui (LU 6) Hegu (LI 4) Waiguan (SJ 5)
Zhongwan (REN 12) Zusanli (ST 36)
Explanation: LU 6 and LI 4 support lung function, clear summer-heat, and resolve dampness from the body surface. REN 12 and ST 36 resolve phlegm, aid stomach function, and stop vomiting. SJ 5 is a luo point and has the effect of stimulating the entire SJ meridian, dispelling summer-heat and dampness. (DU 14 and BL 40 for high fever. SP 9 for severe dampness, can be used in extreme cases with LE 13 and REN 5. Measure blood pressure and use LE 3, DU 20, and EX 6 if it is too high, monitor the patient. MA 25 for stomach problems and loose stools).
Use regular needles for 15-20 minutes, stimulate them 2-3 times. Use a special needle for DU 14 and BL 40, induce bleeding.
Special treatment for epidemics.
Use moxa on the following points: DU 14, BL 12, and ST 36. Morning and evening for 15-20 minutes. This method prevents the common cold by strengthening defensive Qi, improving spleen and stomach function, and boosting the immune system against influenza.
