Use of heat on acupoints in treating common cold

[Guest guest]

I recently came down with the worst cold I've had in many, many

years. I spent several hours outside for 2 straight days staining a

deck. I was pushing myself because one rain storm after another has

been coming through the area, and I wanted to get as much done as I

could before it rained again.

 

I didn't think it was that cold or that windy, but it was enough to

get me. I came down with a Wind Cold cold, and the symptoms were

severe. It started out with constant and profuse nasal secretions

and a lot of sneezing and rapidly progressed to congestion in the

lungs and not enough energy to cough the stuff out. I also lost my

appetite (highly unusually for me), had bowels that are more loose

than usual, had more gas and gas pains than usual, and developed

urinary incontinence problems. This was not just a case of Wind Cold

Invasion but of Spleen Qi already being increasingly Deficient (the

loss of apetite, the increased gas and gas pains, the worsening loose

bowels, etc.). In addition Kidney Qi was already weak (a lot of

problems with back pain over the past couple of months and some

slight problems with incontinence each time I got tired. I knew from

my history and my symptoms that I was going to have to tonify if I

was going to get of that cold. Otherwise I would not have the energy

to fight it off.

 

Being mindful that tonification also can feed a pathogen, I looked

for things to do that were the most likely to benefit me without

benefiting the pathogen. I know my history, and I know that I have

been severely Kidney Yang Deficient in the past and that I am

sensitive to Cold. I just didn't realize I was still that

sensitive. Both the Kidneys and the Spleen are very vulnerable to

the effects of Cold. Cold damages and weakens both, especially the

Kidneys. And Cold damages Yang. Long-term Yang Deficiency can cause

a person to be vulnerable to Exterior Pernicious Evils like Wind and

Cold. I got exposed to too much Wind and too much Cold (for me), and

the Exterior Cold invaded and weakened the Spleen (increased

digestive system problems and decreased Qi because the Spleen plays

such a critical role in Qi production) and weakened the Kidneys and

Kidney Yang (incontincence, increased problems with backaches).

 

Complication things even more, I don't have all the herbs on hand to

treat Wind Cold Invasion and the 6 Stages of Cold-Induced Illness.

So I used what I had to work with both TCM and Western. I started

taking some high dosages of C, A, zinc, and magnesium as well as

echinacea. As long as I was in the Tai Yang stage, I used what herbs

I have on-hand to induce sweating. I also reasoned that heat applied

to certain acupoints might help. When I placed a heating pad over

the Bladder 23 and Bladder 47 points (2 of each, one pair on either

side of the spine in the area of the waist on the back), I got some

immediate relief of symptoms. This is interesting as these are two of

the main points that enabled me to knock out the severe headaches I

used to get. (The severe headaches also were due to invasion by Wind

Cold.) In addition, the Bladder 23 point is called the Sea of

Vitality and often is worked to help energy.

 

I don't know if applying a heating pad to Bladder 23 and 47 would

help in all cases of the common cold. I don't know if it would even

work in all cases of people who have a history of Kidney Yang

Deficiency and a sensitivity to cold, but it may be worth considering

in these cases.

 

In addition I also benefitted from applying pressure to Kidney 27.

This is a point which is used in cases of Kidneys Refusing to Receive

Qi. This is a type of Kidney Yang Deficiency imbalance which is

characterized by difficulty in breathing due to Kidney Yang

Deficiency. I needed to work this point in order to be able to cough

out phlegm.

 

The worst of the cold was over in 3 days. That's 3 days from the time

the first symptoms appeared. I'm not fully over the cold yet, but a

lot of things are in better condition now than before the cold. Like

the digestive system. Just because I teach TCM it doesn't mean that

I'm always as careful as I should be about heading off problems

before they get worst. Like other people I get busy with other

things, I put off doing certain things, and sometimes I just plain

rebel at having to pay so much attention to my health and prepare and

take the herbs, take the vitamins and minerals, etc. And I honestly

didn't realize that I was still as sensitive to Cold and Wind as I

still am. Of course, maybe if I had been taking care of some things

before, I might not have been as sensitive as I was.

 

Victoria