How to travel with ease this summer!
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) aren't just for cold and flu season. One of TCM's biggest strengths is immune support - which matters most during the summer months, when travel and increased contact with others raise your exposure to illness. Whether you're heading to the airport, settling into a long car ride, or bouncing back from a red-eye flight, TCM offers natural tools to keep you balanced before, during, and after your trip.
In short: Acupuncture and TCM support travel wellness by strengthening immunity before departure, easing motion sickness and nausea through acupressure points like Pericardium 6, and reducing jet lag through acupuncture and herbal sleep support after arrival.
How to Boost Immunity Before You Travel
Preparing your body before you leave is the most effective way to avoid getting sick on the road.
Acupuncture before travel can help:
Balance digestion to maintain a regular schedule while you're away
Boost overall immunity
Protect against airborne pathogens common in airports and planes
Chinese herbal medicine before travel:
Dao Labs Immunity Support is a powerful trio of Chinese herbs that delivers natural immune strength, leaving you feeling refreshed and ready to go. Stop by the studio for a sample.
Our licensed herbalists can also build you a personalized herbal prescription tailored to your specific needs before a trip.
Acupressure for Motion Sickness and Nausea While Traveling
Between acupuncturesessions, acupressure is an easy, drug-free way to stimulate acupuncture points and stay balanced while you're on the move - no needles required.
Pericardium 6 (Nei Guan) is the go-to point for travel-related nausea.
How to find it: Turn your palm face-up. The point sits about two finger-widths down from your wrist crease, between the two tendons running along your inner forearm.
How to use it: Press gently downward with your thumb or index finger - this spot can be sensitive, so ease into it rather than pressing hard.
What it helps with:
Nausea
Motion sickness
Upset stomach
This makes it one of the most practical tools you can use in a car, on a plane, or on a boat - no appointment necessary.
How Acupuncture Helps with Jet Lag
Landing in a new time zone can throw off your sleep, energy, and focus for days. Acupuncture helps by balancing the mind and body to support more restful, restorative sleep once you arrive.
Chinese herbal medicine can reinforce this recovery:
Dao Labs Mental Tranquility Sleep supports better, more restorative sleep and next-day focus - especially helpful if you're an anxious sleeper prone to overthinking or worrying at night.
Dao Labs Physical Tranquility Sleep is a better fit if you tend to run warm at night or wake up sweating.
Staying Active and Recovering from Injury While Traveling
Summer travel often means more movement - hiking, exploring on foot, or fitting in workouts on the road. TCM has tools for that too.
For injury and pain relief:
Acupuncture reduces inflammation
Trigger point therapy relieves deep muscle pain
Cupping, gua sha, and tui na increase blood flow and improve mobility in tissue and joints
Post-workout recovery: Topical ointments like Evil Bone Water and Dr. Bob's can help minimize injury and speed up recovery between sessions.
Curious how this applies to sports and fitness specifically? Check out Sports Acupuncture at Acuworx, or see a treatment in action on Instagram.
FAQ: Acupuncture and TCM for Travel
Can acupressure really help with airplane nausea? Yes. Stimulating the Pericardium 6 point on the inner forearm is a well-known, non-drug technique for easing nausea and motion sickness, and it can be done anywhere - no equipment needed.
How soon before a trip should I get acupuncture? Ideally, schedule a session a few days to a week before departure so your body has time to respond and your immune system is primed before you're in transit.
Is acupuncture safe for jet lag? Yes. Acupuncture is a safe, non-invasive way to help regulate sleep and energy after crossing time zones, and it can be paired with herbal sleep support for a faster reset.
Do I need to be an existing patient to try Dao Labs products? No - our team is happy to give you a sample of Dao Labs Immunity Support at the studio, and our herbalists can build a personalized formula whether or not you've had acupuncture with us before.
Ready to prep for your next trip? Book a session or schedule a free consultation with our team.