March 2014

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is thought that wind brings with it the viruses and allergies that we all suffer.

These often enter through two acupoints on the back of the neck, called Wind Gate. you can find these points by going from the center of your neck, at the top, just under the occiput, and moving over the large tendon to the side, under the occiput, where there is a large hole. This is a spot where it feels good to massage when you have a headache. And, interestingly, when you first catch cold, you sometimes will feel stiff or achey here.

Wind brings with it spasms, twitches, (and itches), and thus we also see a lot of cases of Bells Palsy which begin at this time of year. The classic story is that a parent, or grandparent, has been sitting in the wind watching a child’s first football practice of the season, or an early baseball game, and the next day they wake up with their mouth drooping, or an eyelid that won’t close.

The Chinese would say that wind has invaded the face, entering through the Wind Gates at the back of the neck.

It is very easy to stop Bells Palsy at this stage. Using a combination of needles in the hands and feet, along with a few in the face, we have high rates of success. However, the longer a person waits, the harder it is to help this troubling condition.

I said above that Chinese medicine says that viruses are carried into our bodies on the wind. Interestingly, we often get the sniffles at this time of year. And people are starting to show up at the clinic with sinus infections.

It certainly is windy out there, as the temperature fluctuates between cold and hot every day. Chinese medicine says that we can protect ourselves from the invasion by Wind through the simple act of wearing winter clothes appropriately, and most importantly, by keeping our necks covered with a scarf or turtleneck until it gets a lot warmer outside.