Dear Patient,
Last week at my clinic we were excited to be featured in a local news story about acupuncture and long covid. Acupuncture can help with a number of long covid symptoms—some of the issues we’ve worked on most frequently are respiratory problems, headaches, fatigue and loss of smell. Long covid also seems to inflame conditions that were previously well-managed, such as colitis or IBS. And sometimes it will give rise to entirely new problems that a person never experienced pre-covid, such as migraines.
It’s interesting treating an entirely new disease. Until two years ago, long covid didn’t exist. In some ways the newness of it doesn’t really matter to an acupuncturist. We make a differential diagnosis based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and not an allopathic medical label. To an acupuncturist, long covid might be Lung yin deficiency, or Liver fire blazing upwards. The diagnosis may change over time. We treat what the body tells us to treat.
That’s not to say we knew exactly how to treat long covid from the start. When patients first started seeking our help, we didn’t know how their bodies would respond, or what prognosis to offer. We’ve learned a lot in these recent months.
But this is the beauty of ancient medicine. New viruses emerge. New environmental stressors materialize. Novel demands are placed on the human body. But the medicine stays relevant, because the medicine is deeply rooted in close observation of the natural world, and centuries of wisdom.
And this medicine will be be ready for whatever comes next.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
P.S. Here’s our news feature on acupuncture and long covid:
Great video and your clinic looks divine!!!!! So glad you're able to help these folks with the lasting symptoms!