Acupuncture for post covid syndrome
Post-Covid symptoms such as tiredness, shortness of breath, pain and concentration problems can persist for a long time after a corona infection. With Chinese medicine, these complaints are brought together in a clear pattern, so that acupuncture can be treated in a targeted manner. The treatment focuses on restoring energy, breathing and circulation.
Many people who have experienced the coronavirus will then continue to have symptoms for months. This is often referred to as post-covid or long covid. Long covid does not mean so much the organ lung, but the long-term effect of the infection on the body as a whole. In this article, you can read what these symptoms are and how acupuncture can support recovery.
Acupuncture for post-covid syndrome
In an earlier article, we explained that a combination of reduced resistance and accumulation of waste can make the coronavirus a persistent burden on the body. Waste products obstruct circulation and cost a lot of energy to dispose of. This often leads to prolonged fatigue, a feeling of heaviness in the body and slow recovery.
We also see this image in the post-covid syndrome. In Chinese medicine, these complaints are linked, among other things, to a weakening of the Lungs and the Digestive System, often in combination with waste products. This can be expressed in pain symptoms such as joint pain and headache, but also in coughing, shortness of breath and chest pressure.
In practice, complaints such as tiredness, cough and shortness of breath can be treated easily with acupuncture.
Post covid syndrome symptoms
A syndrome is a collection of symptoms that are recognized to occur together, but where the exact cause is not always clear. After a corona infection, the body should in principle fully recover, but some of the people still have symptoms.
Common complaints include:
— Tiredness
— Fatigue during exercise
— Shortness of breath
— Wheezing
— Cough or sore throat
— Joint pain
— Chest pain or stiffness
Also occurring regularly:
— Post-traumatic stress (e.g. after ICU admission)
— Anxiety or gloom
— Muscle pain or headache
— Fast or irregular heartbeat, palpitations
— Loss of smell and/or taste
— Concentration problems
— Sleep problems
— Skin complaints or hair loss
At first glance, this list of complaints seems random. However, a classification according to Chinese medicine creates a coherent picture.
From syndrome to acupuncture diagnosis
In Chinese medicine, symptoms are linked to organ systems and functional substances. This not only creates a diagnosis, but also an immediate course of treatment. That is an important strength of this approach.
A simplified example of such a layout is shown in the table below:
Symptom → Meaning
Prolonged tiredness → Milt-Qi weakness
Fatigue during exercise → Qi deficiency
Shortness of breath, cough → Long-Qi weakness
Chest pressure → Qi stagnation, wastes
Joint and Muscle Pain → Qi and Blood Stagnation
Concentration problems → Shen undernourished
Sleep problems → Heart—Long Disharmony
A common pattern in post-covid, for example, is: weakening of the Milt and Long in combination with waste. Of course, we always look at the full picture. Sleep, digestion, pain symptoms and resilience are included to fully tailor the diagnosis to your situation.
Treatment of long covid with acupuncture
Once the diagnosis has been determined according to Chinese medicine, a treatment principle automatically emerges. The pattern described above focuses on strengthening the Spleen and Lung Meridians and supporting the removal of waste products.
To build energy and blood, we often work via the digestive meridians, such as the stomach and colon. In case of lung problems, specific points on the Lung Meridian are used to support breathing and endurance.
Many people notice an improvement in energy, breathing or pain symptoms quite quickly. The treatment is usually repeated to deepen the effect and make it sustainable.
Are you curious about what acupuncture can do for you with post-covid symptoms? Feel free to contact us, we are happy to think along with you.
