If you’ve ever traveled out of the country by plane in your life, you know air travel and getting out of your normal routine can be disruptive to your body and general wellness. The dry air on the plane, cabin pressure, the size of your airplane seat, the food you don’t normally eat, time zone changes, germ exposure, travel-related stress (for example flight delays, cancellations or anxiety from flying) are some of the variables you have to endure before starting your vacation. And sometimes these factors can leave us susceptible to health issues and discomfort during and after our blissful holiday.

Have you ever experienced motion sickness during the flight or landing? Sleep funny on the plane and arrive at your destination with a migraine? What about catching a cold on your second day of vacation? Eat or drink something delicious that turned into laying on your hotel bathroom floor for too many days of your holiday? Your period show up too early or too late? What about the struggle to adjust to the time zone and feeling exhausted or wide awake at the wrong times of the day?

If you answered yes to any of these and you want options for improving your wellness before, during, and after travel, then you’re in the perfect place. One of the best ways to support your health and vitality in relationship to travel is acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Acupuncture, dating back to at least 100 B.C, is a form of Chinese medicine in which a thin needle penetrates the skin at a strategic point in the body after using an organized system of diagnosis. In Chinese medicine, there is a belief that disease is caused by disruptions to the flow of qi (energy) in the body. Acupuncture is designed to stimulate specific points throughout the body where qi can be released and flow freely through the meridians. In addition, in the state of California, when acupuncturists are licensed, they also receive certification in herbs which can sometimes be used in place of or in conjunction with pharmaceuticals, helping to better customize your travel wellness needs.

I had the opportunity to both receive acupuncture treatment as well as sit down with Laura Erlich, LAc, FABORM, founder of Mother Nurture Wellness to discuss both my needs from acupuncture and how acupuncture can support women with their travel wellness. I have been receiving acupuncture treatment for over a decade and it is one practice I can’t live without. Getting the chance to combine my passion for wellness and travel with this form of medicine and an expert was a dream.

Mother Nurture Wellness is a holistic women’s health collective, specializing in fertility and pregnancy located on the westside of Los Angeles. After graduating summa cum laude from Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine, Laura founded a progressive holistic medicine practice, specializing in gynecology, infertility, IVF support, conscious conception, and prenatal care. And it’s aesthetic is both inviting and gorgeous too.

After receiving treatment I asked Laura how acupuncture can effectively support travel. According to Laura, here are

5 Ways Acupuncture can Support your Travel Wellness:

1. Go into acupuncture close to and leading up to your trips

Acupuncture can both calm the nervous system and boost the immune system. In addition, travel also impacts the menstrual cycle. Acupuncture is a great way to get things on track. There are several herbal medications that can help regulate the menstrual cycle as well. Incorporate a protocol to keep things regular during traveling.

2. Get customized herbs for your individual needs from someone licensed

Herbs can sometimes be used as an alternative to pharmaceuticals. For example, it can be a great first line of defense before taking something like Xanax. There are also anti-viral herbs that can be taken before, during (if your flight is really long) and after to support your immune system. Other things that can be treated with herbal medicine include sleep, jet lag, anxiety, and digestive issues.

3. If you are prone to motion sickness, wear Sea-bands

Sea-bands are little wrist bands that sit on top of your pericardium #6 position; an acupressure point that can help with nausea. These are generally easy to find in your local pharmacy or you can order on Amazon.

4. Alleviate jet lag and return to acupuncture after coming home

There are 12 organ systems in the body and they’re each paired with a time of day. The jet lag treatment can work to reset the circadian system and improve restoring your body to local time.

5. Cultivate a long term relationship with an acupuncturist 

It’s important to make acupuncture a part of your regular wellness program. A long term relationship with a skilled practitioner keeps people well. Maximize your health with holistic medicine and maintain regular sessions to treat underlying issues that can be exacerbated before, during or after travel. The best way to stay well is to do it in a preventative way.