long haul covid natural treatment

Long Haul COVID Treatment: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Herbs and Acupuncture

Holistic Approach to Post COVID Treatment

It has many different names – long COVID, long haul COVID, chronic COVID, post COVID conditions, or chronic COVID. Whatever you call it, COVID long haul symptoms can linger for months. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that the post COVID conditions are a “wide range of returning, ongoing, or new health problems that people can experience four or more weeks after being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.” Common post COVID symptoms include chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia, shortness of breath, brain fog, sleep problems, and acute kidney damage. It is estimated that 30% of people who had the disease are affected by post COVID symptoms, women more than men.

Long haulers treatment turns towards alternative therapies like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, exercises, and supplements. TCM focuses on restoring the balance within the body and promoting the body’s own healing mechanism, which proves beneficial in treating long-haul symptoms of COVID.

Post COVID Syndrome Treatment – Try a Holistic Medicine

With a holistic approach to viruses, at Makari Wellness we bring the best from both eastern and western medicine. The difficulty, but also the beauty of the TCM is that it is completely individualized and depends on the patient’s specific needs during long haul COVID treatment.

We successfully treat anxiety and internal conditions like insulin resistance, inflammation, high and low blood pressure, adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, migraines, and many other disorders that might be related to post COVID syndrome.

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Book an appointment at (888) 871-8889 and try the best post COVID treatment in Oceanside and San Diego, California. TELEMEDICINE CONSULTATIONS >>> Technology allows us to extend health care to patients outside California. We offer virtual consultation via video link. Book telemedicine for long-haul COVID treatment. Try a real-time consultation from the convenience of your home.

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What Is Long Haul COVID?

Most people who had COVID-19 disease recovered completely within a few weeks. However, some people continue to experience complications that continue to linger even after the COVID-19 illness. Anyone can get it, but it seems that post COVID symptoms are more common among women; the average age of a long haul patient is 40. Even those experiencing mild symptoms or were asymptomatic may have at least one post-COVID symptom.

Common signs and symptoms may include:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Severe fatigue and tiredness
  • Pain in joints and chest
  • Fever
  • Vascular and heart problems
  • Dizziness while standing
  • ‘Brain fog’ – lack of focus and mental clarity
  • Rash
  • Sleep problems
  • Diarrhea
  • Pins-and-needles-feeling
  • Mood changes

Post COVID Fatigue Treatment

TCM is all about balance, in particular, energy balance. Trying some TCM approaches can have long-term results and treat the root of your condition. TCM views the human body as a system of energy called Qi (pronounced “Chee”) that runs through the body via energy paths called meridians. Qi consists of two main complementary forces, yin and yang.

  • Yin energy is cold and slow, derives from quiet activities like meditation, resting, and deep breathing.
  • Yang energy is hot and fast and derives from concentrated effort and various physical exercises.

Post COVID fatigue, according to TCM, arises when energy flow becomes imbalanced. The main goal of TCM is to rebalance or restore the energy using dietary changes, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and exercises. It also encourages self-healing mechanisms within the body.

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Acupuncture

Inserting thin needles into specific points in the body’s energy field to manipulate certain Qi meridians is the main principle of acupuncture. In the case of post COVID fatigue, acupuncture can be used to stimulate yin energy or calm yang energy. The following acupuncture points applied with manual acupuncture techniques are proven effective:

  • Zhangmen (LV13) – Zang organ point
  • Geshu (BL17) – Blood point
  • Zhongwan (CV12) – Fu organ point
  • Yanglingquan (GB34) – Tendon point
  • Taiyuan (LU9) – Pulse and vessels point
  • Dazhu (BL11) – Bone point
  • Xuan Zhong (GB39) – Marrow point
  • Shanzhong (CV17) – Qi point

Some of the benefits of acupuncture for post COVID fatigue include better metabolism, chronic stress reduction, establishing emotional balance, improved memory and mental clarity, improved libido, enhanced athletic performance, and many others.

Chinese Herbal Support

Chinese herbal therapy focuses not only on one symptom but also on general well-being and elimination of the root of the condition. A certified Chinese herbalist will create the right formula for your specific condition. Each herb is carefully chosen according to its unique characteristics. Some of the most common herbs to treat post COVID fatigue are:

  • Ginseng root – good for people who lack rest.
  • Echinacea – helps boost the immune system.
  • Chinese wolfberry – improve circulation and enhance immune system function.
  • Wild Chinese Yam – lovers blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
  • Angelica root – good for nervousness and insomnia.

Qigong Practices

As a form of qigong, tai chi has become a popular practice that enhances yin energy. It combines gentle movements, controlled breathing, and meditation. This practice aims to cultivate the strength of nature and energy into a person’s body to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

The gentle movements incorporated into qigong are perfect for self-healing during post COVID syndrome. The benefits include reducing stress and anxiety, increasing balance, improving focus, and bottom line, lowering the risk of chronic disease, including post COVID syndrome.

Post COVID Headache Treatment

Patients commonly report persistent headaches as a symptom following COVID-19. Post COVID headaches can be debilitating, lasting for months, and most people can find them difficult to manage without prescription medication, especially if they regularly deal with migraines. However, they are not dangerous, nor do they cause brain damage – brain scans of the patients with persistent post COVID headaches are normal.

TCM has been used for acute and chronic pain reduction for centuries, but without any medications. Acupuncture, acupressure, Chinese herbal therapy, moxibustion, and functional medicine can help treat headaches.

Acupuncture

Sometimes people with headaches may experience unpleasant side effects of the medications, so acupuncture may be a viable solution to change the flow of energy through a body that will stimulate the body’s healing abilities. Some of the most potent acupuncture points for headaches include:

  • SJ 5 or Waiguan – Very important point to use for treating headaches. You can find it on the forearm’s dorsal aspect, above the wrist’s transverse crease between the ulna and radius.
  • GB 8 or Shuai gu – It can be found above the tip of the external ear and treats migraines, one-sided headaches, and associated nausea.
  • Taiyang (Extra 1) – One of the most important and widely used extra points for headaches, located in the region of the temples.

Acupressure

Stimulating pressure points on the body may help relieve patients who suffer from headaches. Some of them are located on ears, hands, and feet:

  • SJ 21 or Ermen – located where the top of the ear meets the temple and effectively treats jaw and facial pain, often present in headaches.
  • LI 4 or Hegu – the most common pressure point for headaches and migraines, located between an index finger and the base of the thumb on each hand.
  • LV 3 or Tai Chong – sits in the valley between the big toe and the second toe, 1-2” back from the toes. It helps decrease stress, anxiety, and insomnia.

Chinese Herbal Therapy

Herbal remedies are very popular in treating acute and chronic headaches, proving highly potent effects. A licensed Chinese herbalist will recommend the most effective herbal mixture to address your condition. Some of the most useful herbal remedies include:

  • Caffeine
  • Coriander seed
  • Lavender oil
  • Feverfew
  • Dong Quai
  • Ginger.

Moxibustion

Moxibustion involves burning mugwort (moxa), a cone or stick made of ground mugwort leaves on specific acupoints to promote healing. It can be used in combination with acupuncture or alone. The mugwort’s active component, borneol, is commonly used in topical therapies for its analgesic effects. The best results are made in treating tension headaches since it promotes relaxation in the shoulder and neck area.

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine combines alternative and conventional medical methods. It focuses on the care and each person’s overall vitality and health. After collecting valuable data concerning your genetic and lifestyle details and examining your laboratory tests, your functional medicine practitioner will find the right treatment to improve your overall health. The doctor will relieve your condition by prescribing adequate nutrition, regular exercise, and supplements to make a unique plan to treat your headaches.

Post COVID Cough Treatment

Coughing after COVID infection is not uncommon, so treating dry or wet cough is extremely important. Alternative medicine should be considered a viable option since the lungs are considered delicate organs. The TCM aims to restore balance in the body, help strengthen the immune system, and promote the body’s self-healing abilities.

Acupuncture

Cough causes could come from a Lung deficit due to a Wood Excess, Fire in the Lung meridian, or a Fire over Metal. Some acupoints that proved beneficial for post COVID cough are:

  • LU 7 – disperse Heat
  • LV 4 – refresh Liver who Heat Lungs
  • SI 2, LU 5, KI 6, SP 6 – improve liquids in a body
  • LU 6 – expel bad energy
  • LI 4 – dispel Heat.

Chinese Nutrition

Cough patients should opt for digestible and light food, which should be boiled or steamed. Patients with a dry and prolonged cough should consume food that helps moisten their lungs and increase body fluids, like honey, lily bulb, sugar cane, black and snow fungus, and Asian pear.

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