ACUPRESSURE FOR IMMUNITY, PART 1 (ST 36)

One of the most frequent questions I get from patients is “What are some ways I can support my immunity?” I firmly believe that preventing disease is the best kind of doctoring. Prevention begins with what we take into our bodies, our food, our water, our stress level, our activity, and our environment. These are the basics. If we can attend to those things first, we are less likely to get out of balance. But it turns out that even doing the basics can sometimes be a challenge. Today’s society is so hectic, and the most common schedules are enough to weaken our defense system. We also might have been dealt some interesting genetics, which, in Chinese medicine, we call Jing. So extra support through herbs and nutritional supplementation, or moxibustion might be necessary.

But what can you do right now, with your own two hands? Acupressure! It’s true, acupressure doesn’t give you the bang for your buck that acupuncture can. There is a a distinct physiologic response that happens when needles penetrate the skin. BUT, acupressure can still supply us with good feedback about the state of our bodies, and help with immune support.

One of the most important and frequently used points is called ST 36 (stomach 36). It lies on the shin, along the Stomach channel. (A channel or meridian is a line of subtle connective tissue that runs longitudinally through the body. In acupuncture, there are 12 main meridians). If you place your four fingers together and align them with the bottom of your knee cap, the point will be a (usually) tender spot about one finger breadth lateral (to the outside) of the crest of the tibia (shinbone). You can massage this spot in a circular motion, and/or press and hold and release until the soreness starts to lessen. You can also warm this spot with moxa (mugwort floss) if you have it, or place some moxa oil or liniment on it. I also love using an immune supportive oil like frankincense or Thieves Oil right on the spot.

ST 36

4 finger breadths below the patella, and 1 finger breadth from the crest of the tibia

St. 36 is called the Sea of Water and Grain, it regulates digestion and helps us to better utilize the nutrients in our food and transform them into usable energy and the basis for a strong immunity. We have two kinds of immunity or qi, the first is “pre-heaven qi”, our genetics. The second is post-heaven qi. the energy we get from what is around us and what we take in. St. 36 helps to enhance that post-heaven qi, and enables us to better battle nutritional and environmental deficiencies and enhances the positive food, drink, and environment we take in.

It boosts our wei qi, the defensive immunity, think white blood cells, and our first defense against the outside world, our skin, and through the five element theory, as an earth point it is the mother of metal (Think mining metal from the earth) so it strengthens the lungs, which are associated with the metal element.

St. 36 can be used if you’re starting to feel like you might get sick or if you’re feeling like your digestion is off, but truly, it is a great point for EVERYDAY use. It helps gives you a baseline of robust health, and who wouldn’t want that? Good health to you all!