Boost Your Littles Immune System and Fight Back-To-School Germs with Traditional Chinese Medicine

The back-to-school season is just around the corner, so you know what that means—get ready for snotty noses and icky coughs! It doesn’t have to be this way though. There are steps you can take now to boost your little’s immune system so they are good and ready to fight all those new school year germs.

One of the great things about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is that it is preventative medicine. This means you don’t have to wait until there is an illness before you use TCM; you can use it now to prevent from getting sick. TCM can get the body functioning at a place of balance, where it is prepared to handle any ick that comes its way. Below I’ve listed several ways to use TCM right in your own home to get your little ready for school this fall.

Acupressure

Acupuncture is the most widely known TCM modality and acupressure is a variation of acupuncture that anyone can do anywhere. There are several acupressure points used to boost the immune system. In TCM the body has a barrier that serves to protect it from outside germ invasions. This barrier is called wei qi and translates as “defensive energy.”

The following 3 points serve to strengthen wei qi. They can be stimulated for a couple of minutes daily with gentle pressure. You can even teach your little to do it themselves as a part of their normal routine:

1. Stomach 36 (ST36) – This point is called Zu San Li and translates as “Leg Three Miles.” This point is located on the leg, the width of your little’s 4 fingers below the knee and 1 finger to the outside of the shinbone.

2. San Jiao 5 (SJ5) – This point is called Wai Guan and translates as “Outer Pass.” This is on the back side of the forearm, the width of 3 of your little’s fingers above the wrist in the middle of the 2 bones, the ulnar and the radius.