Wind Pool
Dear Patient,
Last week I got my COVID booster shot. I knew what to expect—after my second dose months earlier I’d spent a miserable day in bed with chills, body aches, fatigue and headaches. This time was no different.
Despite feeling awful, I took comfort in knowing that my body was going through the exercise of mounting a defense. The symptoms I experienced are classic signs of what we call an exterior wind-cold attack in Traditional Chinese Medicine—really just a metaphor for a pathogen invading the body from the outside.
It’s said that wind enters the body at the back of the neck, which is why your mother always told you to put on a hat and scarf when you went outside in the cold. Leaving your neck and upper back exposed to the elements is an open invitation for wind and cold to invade.
We call this area of the body the Wind Pool, since that’s where wind gathers and enters. Gallbladder 20, located at the base of the skull, expels the wind and treats a stiff neck (another sign of a wind invasion). Acupressure at this point helps alleviate those wind cold symptoms (scroll down for location notes), but of course it’s better to prevent an attack in the first place, which means covering the Wind Pool so wind can’t penetrate through your skin. In other words…your mother was right. You should wear a scarf.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
P.S. Each Wednesday I write about a different acupuncture point. Are there any you’re curious about? Let me know!
Location Notes:
Gallbladder 20 is located on the upper portion of the nape of the neck. Two muscles, the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid, join together at the base of the skull. Gallbladder 20 is located in the depression between those two muscles, just below the occipital bone.
Once you locate the points, gently press upward with your thumbs and rub in circles.