Acupuncture for Long COVID
It might sometimes feel like COVID is behind us, but believe it or not, I’m still seeing plenty of patients—both new and returning—with symptoms of long COVID. This includes things like fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbance, cognitive health, muscle weakness and anxiety, all of which have a very real impact on our overall health.
Despite new variants of COVID still emerging, long COVID is different. Instead of a new infection, long COVID is what we call the lingering effects of a past COVID infection. I’ve been treating patients for long COVID throughout the pandemic, and if you find you’re still struggling with long-term symptoms, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine and other holistic approaches can offer some relief and rebalance your body post-infection.
What is long COVID?
For some people, COVID’s symptoms persist or emerge long after the original infection has resolved. Just like COVID itself, long-COVID symptoms vary from person to person, but often include shortness of breath, fatigue, coughing, difficulty focusing and more. Even people who had no COVID symptoms during infection can develop long-COVID symptoms down the road. Earlier this year, about 11% of US adults who’ve had COVID were experiencing long COVID.
How long does long COVID last?
We know that long COVID can last weeks or months, but we’re now learning that it can also linger for years. Officially, though, long COVID is defined as having symptoms that last for three months after infection. That’s why it’s important to address the underlying causes of your symptoms.
How does acupuncture treat long COVID?
Long COVID acts like an autoimmune disease. It’s essentially a pathogen that’s trapped, and acupuncture can help open up channels that allow it to leave your body. Acupuncture also addresses the root causes of things like anxiety, insomnia, inability to focus and fatigue—as well as long covid’s other symptoms. It also helps improve cognitive health. And we can recommend diet changes that will help with many of long COVID’s side effects and focus on relaxation strategies, breathing techniques, changes to sleep and dietary habits, therapy and other holistic approaches to easing symptoms.
Which long-COVID symptoms can be treated with acupuncture?
All of long COVID’s symptoms can be treated with acupuncture or herbal remedies. Some of the more common symptoms include:
Anxiety
Cough
Chest tightness
Chest pain
Depression
Diarrhea
Difficulty focusing
Dizziness
Fatigue
Fever
Fogginess
Headaches
Insomnia
Joint and muscle pain
Loss of appetite
Loss of taste
Loss of smell
Nausea
Palpitations
Shortness of breath
Sore throat
Stomach pain
Tingling
Tinnitus
Why acupuncture?
Because there’s no standard treatment for COVID, many doctors prescribe medications that simply mask COVID symptoms for temporary relief. Some common COVID medications include antiviral drugs or medications that are traditionally used to treat high blood pressure, muscle weakness or seizures.
Acupuncture, on the other hand, looks at where your symptoms are coming from and how to correct the root cause for long-term or even permanent relief. And because every acupuncture treatment plan is created specifically for the patient’s needs, we’ll work together to ensure we’re meeting your needs while addressing your symptoms.
In health and wellness,
Julie