TCM and your Immune System

Your immune system is the most important part of your body when it comes to staying healthy and fighting off disease and illness. It works by detecting harmful pathogens and viruses and protecting your body against them. When your immune system is not running properly, the body becomes more susceptible to illness.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has focused on immune health for centuries. TCM believes that disease and illness arise when there is an imbalance in the body. When yin and yang are balanced, the body can function normally. When these energies are not in equilibrium, the body’s natural energy flow, Qi, experiences disturbances resulting in illness.

To keep the body working properly, TCM believes that any excesses or deficiencies in yin and yang need to be corrected. This is done in a holistic manner. By addressing the body as a whole, techniques such as acupuncture are used to bring the body back to its normal balance, which results in a healthy immune system.

In TCM, different organs have different roles in immune health.

• The lungs are the first barrier to outside pathogens. The lungs disperse Qi to the body’s surface to protect it.
• The spleen is seen as the blood and Qi source of the body. It works to move fluids and regulate blood flow.
• The kidneys are believed to be the root of healthy energy, keeping the body in equilibrium and strengthening the immune system.
• The liver promotes functioning of the endocrine, digestive, circulatory and immune system. The liver is responsible for the movement of Qi.
• Lastly, the heart is one of the most important organs and works to regulate blood flow. The heart ultimately balances our body’s nervous, cardiovascular and endocrine systems, which is vital for immune health.

Acupuncture can help boost the immune system through specific acupuncture points on the body based on the meridian system. The meridian system is the path through which Qi flows. When the body is not in its best health, there may be a stagnation in Qi. Acupuncture works by releasing these blockages to return the body back to balance and its best immune health.

Bishara Wilson

New York Sports Acupuncture
www.newyorksportsacupuncture.com

Sources:

http://bit.ly/1MkVH8r