Acupuncture for Sore Throat
The most common time for individuals to get sick is during the second week of January. This is the time when parents start the new year’s work schedule and children return to school after the holiday season. Our bodies and minds are in harmony. Usually, when the mind is overwhelmed, the body is the one that takes the beating. Body aches, stuffy noses, sore throats, and even the flu are all typical symptoms of a mid-winter slump.
Individuals are usually highly likely to eat heavier foods during the winter. One of the reasons for this is that hearty and hot meals can be more appealing during cold weather. When the nights are long and the days short, people are less inclined to do more exercises and have more time invested for dining in and snacking. They tend to eat more meat during winter which is often served hot. These factors can result in the accumulation of more “heat” in the body.
Heat, according to the understanding of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts, can denote different things. However, basically defined, “heat” problem in TCM is an imbalance within the body related to inflammation, skin disorders or rashes, hyperactive stress and dryness. One ideal way to remove heat in the body is through exercise. However, during winter, people usually do not exercise regularly and are consuming more “heat laden” foods causing them to have too much heat in the body. This can lead to heat disorders such as sore throats. Sore throats are the result of pathogenic heat that has accumulated in the body.
Certain types of foods are recommended to help offset these winter eating tendencies. One such food is radish considered as a “cold” food” according to Chinese herbal medicine. Radishes can help decrease coughing, quench thirst, expel phlegm and enhance digestion. A white radish growing in certain parts of China has been termed “little ginseng” due to its healing abilities. Radishes are very nutritious foods, and are rich in calcium, vitamin C and vitamin A. They can help strengthen the immune system as well as soften the blood vessels, and improve nutrient absorption. They can likewise be used to stimulate appetite and cool blood.
To maximize the nutritional benefits of radish, eat it fresh and tossed with honey. Natural raw honey contains curative qualities and can help boost the immune system, improve stamina and replenish energy. It also has antibacterial properties. If you suffer from a sore throat, you can cut up raw ginger, boil it in water and add honey into the mixture to help relieve your throat condition.
Ginger has also antibacterial properties and can help fortify the abdomen, soothe a cough, and lessen inflammation in the body. The reason why ginger ale is recommended for a stomach ache is that ginger can help alleviate the inflammation and pain in the stomach. For a flu or sore throat symptoms, ginger can give you quick relief in a natural way and can heal swollen glands.
You may feel some warmth after consuming ginger. Ginger makes the blood vessels dilate and this speeds up blood circulation. The Chinese believe that after being soaked wet in a pouring rain, one should drink a large bowl of hot ginger tea to help him sweat and prevent him from catching a cold. If you manifest early signs and symptoms of a cold, such as cough or sore throat, drinking hot, ginger tea can help prevent its development.
Room temperature or warm water, rose hips, pears, apples, scallions, mint, or dandelions are some of the other cooling foods that can offset the heat that can cause sore throat. Pears can be quite effective in combating dryness in the body and are good for lessening congestion and for lung health. Consuming thin slices of sweet lemons along with the rind and with a pinch of salt as well as drinking pear juice are also great ways to balance heat in the body. Of course the best thing to remember is that prevention is the best medicine. Qi gong, tai chi and moderate exercise can help prevent the common cold. These activities strengthen the immune system and lower stress which can lead to physical imbalance.
Steven Goldfarb, L.Ac. is a board certified and licensed acupuncturist and the founder of Goldfarb Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center in West Orange, NJ.