This year, very early into the cold and flu season, I have seen many acupuncture patients in our Flatiron NYC clinic with bronchitis. Bronchitis may be one of the most difficult conditions to treat with both western medicine and acupuncture.
Can acupuncture treat bronchitis?
It usually occurs after a viral infection and involves a productive or dry cough, shortness of breath, cold symptoms such as nasal congestion, but the hallmark key symptom of bronchitis is the inability to lie flat without coughing.
More often than not, bronchitis negatively impacts sleep because of the frequency of the cough. The coughing is the most frustrating part, because it can linger for 2 or more weeks even after the virus has cleared the body.
With all the people I have seen with this condition, I ended up contracting the illness itself. I have had a horrible history with this illness sometimes the cough lingering for 1 month and catching recurring colds on top of it. I unfortunately waited too long to begin treatment with the symptoms being very mild for the first 7 days.
When the coughing began increasing by day 8, I realized I needed to treat it ASAP before it becomes a lingering condition especially with my personal track record with this condition.
Living in New York City, we are exposed to hundreds of people on a daily basis. This increases our chance of having recurring viral infections. In this blog I will discuss how I treated myself to clear it in the fastest manner possible.
Acupuncture For Bronchitis Relief
Many of the patients in our NYC acupuncture office ask me if I treat myself, and the answer is YES! Self-treatment is especially useful for this condition because of its lingering nature.
Although I treated myself with acupuncture daily for this condition, you can treat these same regions using acupressure. With acupressure the point regions are pressed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The major regions to treat include the following points in the diagram.You can massage the entire region of the forearm from the wrist to the elbow using your thumb. You will want to use moderate pressure depending on your tolerance. Each forearm can be stroked 10 times. Do this twice daily.
UB 13, 14, 15 – located halfway between the spine and the medial border of the scapula. This area is often tight in those who have neck pain. I recommend using a tennis or lacross ball to locate the sorest points and applying steady pressure.
These point regions will help decrease inflammation in the bronchioles and reduce phlegm in the chest.
Dietary Considerations When You Have Bronchitis
Avoid dairy, sugar, and other known allergens.
Stay hydrated with water, herbal tea or broth. Staying hydrated will help thin mucous to expel it easier.
Asian pear with the core out, fill it with honey and steam for 15-20 minutes. Eat the pear and drink the water. This remedy decreases cough and moistens the throat and lungs. It can be eaten 1-3 times daily.
Breathing Exercises for Bronchitis
In general, it is best to breathe deeply to help the body relax. Often times when we have irritation in the lungs, the breath is restricted, which leads to more tension. This may exacerbate the cough and other preexisting injuries.
The exercise recommended will help expel phlegm from lungs. Please see video.
I have used these techniques to minimize the impact of acute bronchitis, but these exercises and suggestions can also be used in cases of chronic bronchitis as well.
As an acupuncturist is NYC, I’m hoping you find these tips helpful to stay healthy during this season. Happy Holidays!
