Seasonal colds move like shifting weather through the body—from icy surface invasion to lingering damp in the lungs. In this Shop Talk conversation, Andreas Brüch shares how Saam acupuncture maps these changes with clarity and precision.
We explore how Taiyang strategies open the surface at the earliest stage, why the Urinary Bladder meridian can be used even when patients feel chilled, and how Lung and Yangming treatments help once the cold moves deeper. You learn about differentiating fluids—dry, wet, hot, or cold—guides point selection, and how reversing Cheung Bu combinations can dry dampness or moisten dryness effectively.
In this Shop Talk conversation with Andreas Brüch, we explore treating colds and coughs through the lens of Saam acupuncture. Andreas has spent decades traveling between Germany and Korea, studying the ways that six qi, five phases, and the nuances using the four-needle technique. His approach is practical, rooted in clinical clarity, and shaped by a deep appreciation for how simple, targeted treatments can bring the system back into a healthy balance.
Treating early-stage colds through the Taiyang channels – Using bladder or small intestine pathways to open the surface and interrupt a cold before it fully settles in.
Correcting qi rather than simply tonifying – Applying Saam acupuncture to restore functional balance in a channel instead of just adding more energy.
Addressing lung involvement as colds progress – Reading dryness, dampness, and phlegm to guide precise lung-centered treatment strategies..
Treating lingering post-cold symptoms – Using six qi and five-phase dynamics to resolve residual cough, congestion, and incomplete recovery.
Understanding Chong bu points in Saam acupuncture – Using highly concentrated elemental points to decisively influence moisture, dryness, heat, or cold when the system needs a clear corrective signal.
Treatment of phlegm for flu and colds in Saam acupuncture
If dampness or phlegm is the main problem in cases of common cold, rhinitis, bronchitis, or sinusitis, we can distinguish the pathology by whether the patient’s phlegm is clear or whitish (dampness with cold), yellowish or greenish, or even contains blood (dampness with heat).
Yangming Stomach energy is drying and warming; therefore, we can use Saam point combination of Stomach Jeong Gyeok (St41+, SI5+, St43-, Gb41-) to reduce damp-cold or phlegm-cold. Yangming Large Intestine energy is drying and cooling. Thus, we can use Large Intestine Jeong Gyeok (Li11+, St36+, Li5-, SI5-) to balance damp-heat or phlegm-heat.
Andreas has been working as an acupuncturist in his own clinic near Munich, Germany, since 2008. Originally, he earned a PhD in psychology, conducted research, and published on behavior and communication in Asian cultures. In 2009, he graduated in Chinese Medicine from the European Institute of Oriental Medicine in Munich. Since 1996, he has made regular visits to South Korea to learn Qigong and traditional Korean medicine.
From 2004 to 2010, he completed training in Korean Hand Acupuncture at the Koryo Sujichim Institute in Seoul. He received additional education and clinical training in Korean medicine with various teachers and doctors, including at Kyung Hee University in Seoul and Busan National University. In recent years,
Andreas has studied Saam and Sambu acupuncture primarily with Dr. Yoo-Ong Jung, Vice President of the Korean Society of Saam Acupuncture Therapy. Andreas has been teaching Saam acupuncture since 2015. He is the (co-)author of “SaAm Acupuncture Textbook: Korean Four-Needle Technique,” published by Müller & Steinicke in Germany.
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