Jin Yin Hua - Honeysuckle, the herbal antiviral.
Chinese herbal medicine has a powerful antiviral that may grow in your backyard. The bitter- sweet honeysuckle or gold and silver flower as its Chinese name translates to, has been proven to be affective against a variety of nasty influenza A viruses, including bird flu and swine flu.
Now is the time to harvest and dry the flowers and store them for the next flu season.

During my clinical internship in Beijing in 2003, the feared avian (bird) flu was in season. The H1N1 virus caused serious life- threatening symptoms. Everyone entering the Japan- China Friendship Hospital where I was based was tested for high body temperature on entering the hospital buildings. At the same time the price of honeysuckle - Jin Yin Hua increased exponentially due to its effectiveness in eliminating this virus. Recent research has shown that the herb is also effective against swine flu and other serious viruses.

In Chinese herbal medicine the dried flower is brewed with other herbs as a decoction, in boiling water and consumed while still warm.

The French physician Paul Nogier developed ear acupuncture or auriculotherapy in the 1950’s. He noticed that some of his patients had a little cauterisation scar in their ears which they claimed relieved sciatic pain. Over 15 years, Nogier investigated the connections between ear points and various organs and body regions and came up with a map of points that roughly resembled the shape of an inverted foetus. He realised that with applying acupuncture to the ear he could treat any area of the body, including the nervous system.

Once China found out of the new acupuncture system, they investigated it in large-scale trials, using the Nanjing army. Nogier’s system was confirmed and auriculotherapy was included in the curriculum of Traditional Chinese Medicine courses.

Today auriculotherapy is widely used throughout the world for many applications, one of them is the NADA protocol.

A simple ear acupuncture treatment to help people in withdrawal from narcotics, alcohol, nicotine and other addictions was discovered in the early 1970’s by Dr. Wen, a Hong Kong based neurosurgeon.

In the 1980’s the treatment spread to the USA and became known as the NADA protocol, an acronym for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association, which promotes it around the world. The treatment is often done in group sessions in a safe, supportive environment in the USA.

The five ear acupoints used stimulate Lung, Liver and Kidneys and produce a calming effect of the sympathetic nervous system. So removing toxins from the body whilst keeping the emotions relaxed.

The treatment takes 30minutes and can be applied a number of times a week. A proficient therapist can modify the treatment to include acupoints for individual challenges that may arise during withdrawal such as depression, irritability etc.

The NADA protocol and its variations are also used to assist patients during smoking cessation.

There is an old saying in China:" If you can't smell moxa when you enter an acupuncture clinic, you should turn around and leave". Moxibustion, the burning of mugwort, is used in combination with acupuncture, however the use of moxa predates acupuncture. Long before metallurgy evolved and metal needles could be made, the leaves of the common mugwort plant Artemisa Vulgaris where shredded and dried to form the woolly moxa punk that is used in moxibustion therapy. There are various grades of moxa for different applications. The finer the moxa, the smaller the portions that are applied to the body. The finest quality is gold grade moxa, which is used in rice- grain to thread size portions. These small portions are stuck on the skin and burned without causing pain. This is a treatment for inflammatory and painful conditions such as arthritis, insect bites and infections, but it is also used for boosting low immunity. The immune boosting effect is well documented and researched. One group of Toyohari practitioners form Great Britain formed an initiative named Moxafrica. Their work involves treating patients with antibiotic resistant tuberculosis in poorer African countries. These patients are extremely weak and often die from the illness unless they are treated with rice- grain size moxa on a number of acupuncture points. This has the effect of strongly stimulating the white blood cell production and boosting the immune system so much that it can overcome the bacterium that causes tuberculosis and help the patient recover.
I use moxa daily in my practice for many things like acute cold and flu, low energy and emotional problems. The smell of moxa smoke penetrating into the waiting room.