3 reasons for low immunity — and how acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can help

Can acupuncture really boost your immune system? Here's what Chinese Medicine says

Yes — acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine support immune resilience by regulating Wei 卫气, the body's protective function, by regulating digestion and energy levels, and by reducing the stress response that can suppress immune function.

In the clinic, we see a lot of people who feel they're always ‘on the edge’ of catching something, or seem to catch everything going around, or are unable to fully shake it off.

Chinese Medicine has been observing how immunity works for more than 2000 years.

Let's take a look at 3 interrelated causes of low immunity that align with what we often see in the clinic.

1. Depletion and exhaustion

If you're tired, you're more likely to get sick. Why is this?

A bit of Chinese Medicine terminology is important here.

Ying 营气 (nutritive): This is the process by which our cells and organs are nourished with healthy blood and body fluids. It occurs at the deeper levels of the body.

Wei 卫气 (defensive): The process by which the more exterior aspects of our bodies (i.e. skin, hair, and nails) are nourished with blood and fluids.

Wei is our body's first line of defence against pathogens, which enter from the outside.

If we're tired, our body is going to focus its resources on the ying (nourishing our internal organs). This takes priority, and rightly so.

But it means there are less resources available to go out to the exterior of our bodies. This makes it easier for pathogens to take hold.

The thing with being tired is we often don't know we're tired. Our bodies get used to it, and it seems normal.

With a check of your pulse and tongue, we'll diagnose to what extent depletion is a factor in your immunity — and then give you the boost you need to fight off sickness.

2. Diet and digestion

Diet is what fuels the bodily processes of ying (nutritive) and wei (defensive).

A common analogy used is ying being a base camp and wei being the defence army.

The defence army depends on base camp for sustenance, so it can perform its protective function.

Not adequately nourishing ourselves is like telling our defence army to go and fight on empty stomachs.

Diet is tied to depletion. If we're not overly depleted, getting enough sleep and have relatively few stresses, maybe we can get away with an erratic diet without any fuss.

But if work or social situations are demanding a lot of us, nourishment becomes extra important for our immunity.

In the clinic, we offer basic Chinese Medicine dietary advice where useful, and provide acupuncture and herbs to regulate your individual digestive pattern.

This is important in regulating ying and wei to keep your immunity fighting fit.

3. Stress

Stress is a very broad term. Here, we're referring to situations that cause tension in the body.

In Chinese Medicine, there is less of a distinction between mind and body. One directly impacts the other.

Chinese Medicine is quite specific about how worry, frustration, grief and fear affect different organ systems and physiological processes in the body.

For example, worry / 思 — Sī, which can also translate as rumination or pensiveness, burdens the spleen.

The spleen's job is to transform and transport nutrients from food and drink around the body. This is crucial for both ying and wei.

But when it's hampered by worry, the spleen's function, and consequently ying and wei are compromised, leaving us more susceptible to sickness.

The emotions listed above are normal and healthy.

It's only when they become excessive, habitual or out of proportion to the situations causing them, that they start to mess with bodily processes.

We've just mentioned how stress can impact digestion and therefore immunity. It can also contribute to depletion and exhaustion.

Tension in the body uses up our physical resources, and creates stagnation.

This makes it harder for blood and fluids to circulate where they need to for a strong immunity.

Acupuncture can regulate the nervous system and improve circulation.

In doing so, it can help immunity and make us steadier in the face of difficult situations.

How we can help

We've seen how, according to Chinese Medicine, exhaustion, compromised digestion and stress impact each other and weaken immunity.

When people come into the clinic with low immunity, we listen carefully to find out what their specific pattern is as an individual.

We then tailor acupuncture protocols and herbal medicines to that person to build their ying and wei.

The most satisfying thing is not only seeing immunity improve, but also seeing people learn more about what their own bodies need to feel good.

After a course of treatments, our aim is that our help is no longer necessary — meaning that through their own daily regulation, people can maintain their immunity.

If you'd like to work on your health with us, book an appointment today.

For more information on how we can help, contact us here.