Acupuncture + COVID
There has been a rise in COVID infection rates. Over the winter holiday season, the US experienced the second-highest rate of infections since the Omicron wave in Winter 2022. [1] While the numbers seem to be moderating, many people are still testing positive. Thankfully, due to some level of immunity among many people, either from vaccinations or previous infections, the majority of (but not all) cases are mild. Even with mild cases, many are left with post-COVID fatigue that can linger. It is estimated that about 40 % of COVID infections result in fatigue, and the persistence of fatigue following infection ranges from 1 month to one year, with an average of 3 months. [2]
If you get an infection, there are many ways to support your overall health and immune response. This includes ensuring adequate rest and sleep, eating a varied whole-food diet (eat your colors 🍉🍠🥗), and staying well-hydrated. Some vitamin and nutritional supplements, including vitamin D and Zinc, can also be helpful. [3]
Acupuncture also helps to support your body in the healing process from COVID, and acupuncture has long been used as a treatment to support people in recovering from the lingering effects of other types of viral infections like influenza and Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV). Randomized controlled studies looking at the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating long-term COVID and related symptoms are lacking, but they are being planned. There are case reports of the benefits of acupuncture as a stand-alone treatment and as part of a multi-disciplinary approach. [4,5,6]
The list of potential lingering symptoms following a COVID infection is long, but fatigue and shortness of breath are common. Other symptoms include headaches, cough, muscle aches, brain fog, loss of taste and/or smell, and depression. Acupuncture has been shown to regulate and rebalance the excessive inflammatory immune response that some people experience after a COVID infection. [7]
If you are interested in scheduling a visit for acupuncture to address post-COVID symptoms or something else, you can schedule an appointment here.
To Your Health
Dr. Nicole 🌿
P.S. If you do not live in the Durham area but could use some support, I also provide virtual consultation in Functional Medicine and the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - both of which can help address some of the underlying factors that may lead to ongoing symptoms following infection. If you are interested, you can schedule a call, and we can discuss your options.
[1]nytimes.com/2024/01/10/upshot/covid-pandemic-wave.html
[2]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37185637/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33041706/
[4]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38033774/
