Acupuncture Woollahra

Cold (Han) is a Yin pathogen that injures Yang Qi when it invades the body. Its nature is to contract, congeal, and slow down. When external Cold attacks, it causes the pores and muscles to tighten — producing chills, stiffness, body aches, and contraction. Cold congeals fluids and Blood, obstructing circulation and causing pain that is characteristically fixed, intense, and aggravated by cold while relieved by warmth.

External Cold invasion typically occurs through exposure to cold weather, air conditioning, or cold food and drink. When Cold attacks the body surface, it produces wind-cold symptoms: pronounced chills, mild or no fever, headache, stiff neck, and clear watery nasal discharge. When Cold invades the interior directly — often through excessive consumption of cold food — it attacks the Spleen and Stomach, causing abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting.

Interior Cold develops when Yang Qi — particularly Spleen Yang or Kidney Yang — becomes chronically deficient. The body loses its internal warming capacity, producing cold limbs, pallor, fatigue, loose stools, frequent clear urination, and a preference for warm food and drink. Treatment of Cold patterns involves warming methods: moxibustion (burning Ai Ye/mugwort near acupuncture points), warming herbs such as Gan Jiang (dried ginger) and Rou Gui (cinnamon bark), and acupuncture with warming needle technique.