KATY BRADSHAW ACUPUNCTUREAcupuncture for long covid
Living with long covid
For most of us, the COVID pandemic feels a long way in the past.
The lockdowns ended, masks disappeared and life gradually returned to normal. For lots of people, it’s something we rarely think about anymore.
But for others, the story didn’t end there. It may be hard to believe, but I am regularly reminded in my clinical practise that there are still many people struggling with the long covid.
Months or even years later, they’re still living with life-altering symptoms. Fatigue, brain fog, breathlessness, disturbed sleep and so often a body that no longer feels like their own. For them, long covid has become an invisible illness that continues to affect every aspect of daily life.
From the outside, someone with long covid may look perfectly well. Behind the scenes, they may be carefully managing their energy, cancelling plans, weighing up whether they have enough strength to get through the day or wondering why a full recovery never comes.
Living with that kind of uncertainty can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining.
What is long covid?
Long Covid describes a range of symptoms that continue or develop after the initial COVID-19 infection. While most people recover within a few weeks, others experience symptoms that persist for months or longer. Often people tell me that they recovered from the first infection only to become unwell later on.
Everyone’s experience is different, but common long covid symptoms include:
- Persistent fatigue
- Brain fog and poor concentration
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle and joint pain
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations
- Poor sleep
- Digestive problems
- Changes to taste or smell
- Anxiety, low mood and emotional overwhelm
Many people find that long covid symptoms fluctuate. Good days can be followed by setbacks, making recovery feel unpredictable and difficult to plan.
Recovery isn’t always straightforward
One of the hardest aspects of long covid is that there isn’t a clear roadmap for recovery.
In the early stages, many people naturally hope to get back to the person they were before they became ill. As time passes, that hope can become mixed with frustration, grief and uncertainty.
There often comes a point where the question changes. Instead of asking, “When will I get my old life back?” people begin asking, “How can I accept the life I am living today?”.
But this isn’t about giving up hope. Many people continue to improve over time, even if more slowly than they wished for. Rather, it’s about learning to work with your body instead of constantly fighting against it.
For many people, that shift is one of the most difficult parts of living with a chronic illness.
Acupuncture for long covid
There is currently no single medical treatment for long covid. Conventional care focuses on managing symptoms, rehabilitation and supporting recovery. As many patients know, getting answers is notoriously difficult when dealing with this kind of illness.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history of supporting people recovering from prolonged illness. It is particularly effective at supporting patients living with post-viral symptoms. This is because it understands the body in such a way that even without a medical diagnosis, the practitioner looks at the individual and their unique pattern of symptoms and knows how to treat them.
We have a language for explaining what has happened when someone hasn’t recovered from an illness, and a method for supporting the body to move forwards with recovery. Every treatment is tailored to the individual, recognising that no two experiences of long covid are the same.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and long covid
From a Chinese medicine perspective, prolonged illness can leave the body depleted and struggling to regain its natural balance.
Treatment aims to support the body’s own healing processes, restore energy, improve circulation and help regulate the systems that have been disrupted by illness.
Alongside the physical symptoms, Chinese medicine also recognises the emotional impact of living with chronic illness. Feeling anxious, frustrated, isolated or overwhelmed is an understandable response when your body no longer behaves as you expect it to.
What does the research say?
Research into acupuncture for Long Covid is still developing, but early studies suggest it may help some people manage symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, poor sleep, pain and reduced quality of life. Acupuncture has also been studied for its effects on the nervous system, inflammation and immune regulation.
Supporting the whole person
Living well with Long Covid rarely comes down to one treatment alone.
Many of the people I see are already doing everything they can to support their recovery. They’re pacing their activity, attending medical appointments, making changes to their lifestyle and trying to navigate a body that no longer behaves as it once did.
Acupuncture can sit alongside these approaches as part of a wider support plan. It offers regular time to slow down, listen to your body and receive support, while working with the symptoms that are having the greatest impact on your quality of life.
My aim isn’t simply to treat symptoms, but to help you feel more resilient, improve your quality of life and support you through what is often a long and unpredictable recovery.
If you’re living with Long Covid and wondering whether acupuncture might be right for you, I’d be happy to talk things through. I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation where you can ask questions and decide whether treatment feels like the right next step.
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