The following is preventative care information from a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital in City of Weifang in Shaanxi province:

• Massaging particular acupuncture points is an effective way of strengthening the immune system.
• Massage ST36 point for 5 to 10 minutes everyday.
• Ginger moxa on Ren8 is known to warming and tonifying Qi, maintaining a healthy digestive system to strengthen the immune system.
• Avoiding intake of energetically cold food and drink and add more energetically warm food and drink in your diet.
• Energetically warm food and drink - Lotus Root, Lilly Root, Sticky rice, Beef, Lamb, Prawn, Japanese/Chinese Yam, Pumpkins, Onions, Carrots, Apricots, Pine nuts, Chestnuts, Chives, Walnuts, Ginger, Green onions, Garlic, Vinegar, Miso, Brown/Red tea, etc...
• Applying Moxa on Ren6 SP10 St36 and DU14 helps warming and dispersing cold, tonifying the digestive system and supporting the immune system.

I am adding moxa treatment on ST36 and DU14 for those who wish to build the immune system as those two are the most effective points as per research and my experiences.

Acupuncture is also widely known to relieve stress and boost immune system.

 Though I wholeheartedly believe the power of moxa and acupuncture, it can not give 100% guarantee of infection free, so please take all measures necessary to stay virus free as recommended.

An American Journalist Lauri Garrett who covered many affected patients, doctors and nurses with SARS, did not get infected herself. According to her, the best way to protect herself from being infected was to follow the simple traditional way.

Here is a summary of disease prevention based on her experience and preventative guidelines:

1. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds
2. Change and wash towels frequently
3. Do not touch  your face - a lot of cases of infection through the mouth, eyes and nose are reported - after touching door knobs, handrails and such when you are out
4. If  you are using disposable masks, do not re0use and touch the surface of it. Viruses attach to the surface of masks.
5. Avoid going out to crowded place as much as possible
6. Have a good rest
7. Hydrate yourself
8. Talk to your Doctor about optimizing your Vitamin D, D and Zinc level - generally recommended 1000mg to 2000mg of Vit C (should not be taken at once as body will emit excess of it) Vit D 20,oooiu/day, Zinc 40mg/day
9. Keep our gut flora happy by adding fermented food in your diet

Additionally recommended are: Oil puling, use of a Neti pot

I am asking any patients with an active cold or flu to please stay at home to minimize infecting others. Late cancellation fees are waved for any missed appoints due to a cold or flu for this time.

Also my office taking the following precautions in light of the corona virus outbreak:

Frequently touched surfaces are sanitized several times a day, including door handles, countertops, chairs desktops and Ipad for CC payment

I hope these tips help you to stay health and boost your immune system during this global health scare.

Warmly,

Maki

Did you know that your mouth in the morning has 10 times MORE bacteria than poop?
 
I was totally shocked when I heard this the first time and my daughters felt disgusted when I shared this information with them.
 
Then I was introduced to Oil Pulling. Oil pulling is the practice of swishing one table spoon of your favorite oil (usually, coconut, sesame or olive oils are recommended)  in your mouth for 20 minutes first thing in the morning.
 
I bet your reaction is "Oil in my mouth for 20 min? no way!!"
 
That was my exact reaction of mine when I heard about it the first time. But once I tried it, I realize it was not that bad. You can do this while you check email, browse  the internet, take shower or whatever.
 
This method is widely known to promote gum health because oil can pull out the bacteria from mouth. My dentist was amazed with the condition of my gums and a patient of mine avoided getting a deep cleaning ,which would have costed her $800 by applying oil pulling for 5 weeks.
 
THEN, I also have to mention, that since doing this everyday for the last 6 years, I have not had a serious cold :) How cool is that???
 
My guess is because oil pulling removes bacteria from the mouth and your body. I am not certain if this is the case, but it definitely makes sense to me.
Oil pulling is a great practice to introduce to your morning routine to prevent over night bacteria to go in to your body.
 
Additionally, the motion of swishing for 20 minutes give your facial muscles exercise, which may help prevent wrinkles and maintain your skin's elasticity.
 
Here are steps to do oil pulling:
 
1. Swish one table spoon of oil in your mouth for 15 to 20 min
    DO NOT SWALLOW! It is full of bacteria! By swallowing it it could cause diarrhea or upset stomach also could cause lipoid pneumonia, which can develop if the oil gets into the lungs.
2. Spit it out into a container or garbage bin. Spitting it to the drain will clog the drain and could cause serious problem.
 
3. Rinse your mouth with warm water and brush your teeth
 
Of course, other very important things to prevent catching colds are:
1. Washing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds
2. Not touching your eyes and mouth with unwashed hands
3. Getting good quality sleep
4. Eating a healthy, well balanced diet
5. Receiving Acupuncture on a regular basis.

   
     Here a few tips to help you get through cold and flu season and minimize/prevent sinus congestion:
 
(1) Use a Neti pot to help clean the nostrils so viruses, bacteria and irritants are swept away. I personally experienced its affect when I was in foreign country for a week for school trip. I brought a Neti pot and used it every night. Turns out, I was the only one who did not get sick AT ALL.
 
(2 ) Plug in your humidifier to help stop the spread of germs as it survives easier in a dry air environment. A humidifier also moisturizes your air passage so it helps you breath easier. A long time ago, I was traveling in winter and as I was staying at a hotel where I thought the cost of heating was included in the room charge.  I blasted the heat so I could be nice and toasty and that made the air dry giving me the worst cold. I ended up needing to go to the doctor during my vacation.
 
(3) Drink plenty of water to hydrate your body as some symptoms like runny nose, fever or sweating causes loss of body fluid. It also helps to loosen mucus in your nose so it alleviates congestion. The recommend daily water amount is 67oz/2l a day. However, too much water can lead to lower salt levels in your blood so no need to over do it.
 
(4) Get regular acupuncture to clear sinuses.
Acupuncture is known to reduce inflammation, thus it reduces congestion. Also it helps to move fluid in your body so it will flush mucus!
 
If your appointment to see your Acupuncturist isn't soon, try pressing this acupuncture point by yourself to clear congestion.
 Shangxing point (Du23) - At the crossing point of the center line of your face and approximately 1/2 inch with the hairline.
This point is known to open passage, clear congestion and calm the mind.
Press and massage this area to help relieve congestion.
 
I hope you found these tips helpful. 
 
I would love to help you alleviate your sinus congestion with an acupuncture session.

This woman's Keloid was the result of having two C-sections, the most recent being 4 years ago. Since this, she was increasingly bothered by the Keloid, especially the itchiness. She said that every night when she was about to fall asleep, it would start to itch so badly that it would totally wake her up again. It was also very tender to touch.

Itchiness is one of the notorious symptoms of Keloids. But is there anything that can help? The suggestion from her doctor was to try steroid injection. However, she found that injection to be excruciating, so even though she did realize the steroid shot was effective, she did not want to do it again after one shot.

What is Chinese Medicine view of Keloid?

After a couple of treatments with Acupuncture, I decided to treat it with Moxa for a few treatments. I applied Moxa on her Keloid once a week for 2 months. There was no obvious change while I was actively treating. However, the patient noticed no itchiness in 2 months after discontinuing the treatment. Then shortly after that she noticed it was not as tender.

First picture shown was taken in May 2015 when I started to treat her Keloid, the later one in September 2016. Though active treatment was not done all those months, the effect of Acupuncture and Moxa was working slowly but surely. Both Moxa and Acupuncture help move blood, thus providing improved circulation to heal Keloid.

Of course depending on the individual's skin type, the depth and age of the Keloid etc., the results will vary. There are also cases where the scarring remains. However, the blockages which Keloids can create in the flow of energy, or Qi as we call it, are helped considerably by the use of Acupuncture treatment, as the flow of Qi and blood are improved.