Since 2020, the world has been gripped by a pandemic generated by a flu-like virus. Management of this crisis has been fraught with controversy and some degree of hysteria. However, treatment resources have been largely ignored in favor of a vaccination policy. Several treatment options have been suggested by medical doctors treating large numbers of patients, resulting in much scientific debate and sadly, a dangerous amount of censorship.

Over the past 6 weeks we have seen a different type of flu type pathogen pass through our community. Just as a refresher for everyone, Chinese divides and defines viral infection according to the symptom-sign presentation. The simplest way to think about this is hot vs cold and damp vs dry. Here is a quick reference chart to make it simple.

These are problems that can be quite bothersome for people and really deserve some attention. From a traditional Chinese medicine point of view, we look at these things a little bit differently than the rest of the western medicine in the Western world. To begin with, we always want to review the basic concepts of the balancing of the elements of Yin and Yang. Most folks have heard the terms before, and I’m sure all of my patients are quite familiar with the meaning of them, but just a quick review. Let’s remember that the Yin and Yang elements are defined with some universal terms, of course we want to know what do those terms mean for our own physical bodies?

A place for consideration of thoughts on health, medicine, new research, and the occasional discourse on the meaning of life.