Here in New York, we are excited to welcome spring in all its glory. As temperatures climb and the sunny days lengthen, it’s a breath of fresh air to see green leaves and flowers returning. It’s a moment to pause and appreciate the beauty of the natural world, to be sure, but it can also be a time when our bodies are more vulnerable than usual to seasonal colds and illnesses. Our immune systems can find it difficult to keep up with the changing environment, and it’s at this time of the year that we are more likely to become sick or fall out of balance.
For this reason, acupuncture can be especially beneficial at points of seasonal change—particularly in the spring and fall, when our bodies have to work harder to adapt to rapidly shifting temperatures and external conditions. Some practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believe that the body’s Qi, or life force, frequency can fall out of harmony with the season’s frequency at this time, which may lead to such health difficulties. Acupuncture therapy unblocks the Qi energy that is trapped along the body’s energy pathways or meridians. When this happens, the body can begin its natural process of self-healing and the immune system in particular begins to strengthen as well.
If you find yourself struggling with your health more than usual as a new season makes its appearance, you may want to take the prudent step of scheduling a seasonal acupuncture treatment in advance. An experienced acupuncturist can assess your current state of health and devise a course of treatment that proactively restores your body’s natural immune response while also addressing any underlying issues that could become aggravated or more pronounced when the seasons change. If you have had a chronic health condition or have suffered from allergies in the past, you may also wish to seek acupuncture therapy on a seasonal basis.
Acupuncture works best as a preventative form of treatment in general, although it can certainly be used to care for existing ailments. If you’re interested in making the most of your acupuncture treatment, scheduling seasonal acupuncture can be one such way to boost your essential health. And if you feel that your well-being suffers at moments of seasonal change, you may wish to explore how acupuncture can be of special benefit to you during these times of the year.
