Holistic Vaccine Support

I’m starting to see more folks coming in for vaccine support and it is great to see people thinking holistically about their recovery process. Vaccines can be a big deal for your immune and nervous system, especially with the levels of stress we’ve been exposed to this past year. Acupuncture, along with some pre & post home care can be helpful to support your body through the experience and may help to mitigate some common side effects.

First off as a disclaimer I will say that in BC acupuncturists and TCMPs are not considered primary care providers and as such it is out of our scope of practice to give any medical information or advice on vaccines, the advantages or risks involved or provide personal opinions.

Instead I am compiling some information on how to care for yourself before and after vaccination from a TCM view, should you chose to receive one.

The simplified way of explaining a vaccine is that it teaches your immune system how to fight a specific infection by creating the appropriate immune antibodies (fighter cells). While your body creates antibodies, it is possible to feel similar to if your body was fighting an active infection.

From a TCM view the vaccine by passes the “Wei qi” level (nose, mouth, mucosal membranes) and penetrates directly to interior levels of the body (intramuscular site of injection). This can show up as a “shao yang” pattern depending on your immune system response which causes symptoms like fever/chills, sweats, fatigue, muscle aches and soreness. To best prepare your body you can consider the following:

The week before your shot

• treat your body like you are already sick to nurture your immune system

• eat warm cooked foods, rest plenty, get adequate hydration

• lessen intensity of physical activity, especially with menses, to conserve your qi & energy

• acupressure and moxa Stomach qi line to support your immune system

Day of your shot:

• avoid getting the shot while you are having any immune system taxation such as: intense allergies, cold/flu, autoimmune flairs

• cover your wind gates (the back of your neck) especially if you waiting outside in line

• try some relaxation techniques if you are anxious

• book the rest of your day off if possible

  After your shot:

• take a day or two off to rest fully

• continue acting as if you are sick & fighting an infection - rest, warm cooked & easy to digest foods & hydration

• epsom salt baths can help with swollen lymph nodes, body aches and arm soreness

• immune points and/or shao yang acupressure points sj5/gb41 if side effects occur

• acupressure li 4 for headaches & pain (photo below)

• receive acupuncture if possible to help support your immune & nervous systems and to mitigate any side effects that may be present.

Supplements for support:

• Traditional Chinese Medicine formula - Jade Windscreen (Yu Ping Feng San) - can be purchased over the counter from any TCM doctor and most stores along lower Fisgard St. Can be taken 2 weeks leading up to and after your shot.

• Magnesium - for soreness and nervous system support. Taken internally as powder or transdermal through epsom salt baths.

• Turmeric/curcumin - helps with generalized inflammation, can be taken in meals & drinks, capsule form or my perosonal favourite in gummies.

Resilience is Fertile: This is Your Liver on Acupuncture

We all want better habits, more flexibility, and perhaps broader perspectives. As it turns out, our bodies innately do this. Though sometimes it can be a struggle. Fortunately acupuncture can help us keep calm, and help our liver carry on.

Our Inner Resiliency

The liver is part of over 500 functions all over our bodies. For example, the liver helps process food, medications, and toxins. Allergic reactions and hormonal cycles depend on the liver. And to top things off, it regenerates itself. Regenerates. Itself.

Which is amazing, but what’s more is that the cells can change and even create structures that didn’t previously exist. From finding the energy to do things, to eliminating the unnecessary, to self-care, our liver can be a mentor for becoming our best selves.

Rebuilding tissues which our bodies need and that aren’t malignant requires the appropriate signals from our nervous system. As an example, research has found that the same versatile liver cells that can build a necessary bile duct can also spread cancer. The difference depends on the message. An ideal acupuncture treatment aids in making sure that the right signals are being sent. Clear messages need to go to not only your liver, but to all essential body systems like circulatory, immune and endocrine.

Our Inner Fertility

And so, acupuncture for fertility requires work on the entire nervous system. In a way, it’s about preparing the soil before planting a seed. Kiiko Matsumoto style acupuncture can help the sympathetic (flight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) functions of the nervous system be in perfect tandem. Because of this, its central diagnosis and treatment interventions rely on palpatory (touch-based) findings.

Furthermore Kiiko Sensei has developed effective treatment strategies for many common liver pathologies like systemic detoxification, to help the liver break down and excrete toxins. There are treatments for liver inflammation, which often shows up in mood and digestive complaints. And fatty liver treatments help with the absorption of fat, cholesterol and bile production.

So breathe a sigh of relief and book in a session. Let’s get ready for the rest of this busy summer season.

References

Izumi, Tomohito, et al. “Vagus-Macrophage-Hepatocyte Link Promotes Post-Injury Liver Regeneration and Whole-Body Survival through Hepatic FoxM1 Activation.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 13 Dec. 2018, www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07747-0.

“Autonomic Regulation of Liver Regeneration After Partial Hepatectomy in Mice.” Journal of Surgical Research, Academic Press, 27 Mar. 2008, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022480408001601.

“Cancer Most Frequently Spreads to the Liver; Here’s Why.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 6 Mar. 2019, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190306131418.htm.

“How Some Liver Cells Switch Identities to Build Missing Plumbing.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 2 May 2018, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180502132119.htm.

“Your Liver Is Essential to Your Life. The Canadian Liver Foundation.” Canadian Liver Foundation, www.liver.ca/your-liver/.