CHICAGO’S LEADING ACUPUNCTURIST FOR RELIEF FROM LONG-TERM COVID SYMPTOMS
ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP WITH LINGERING COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
Even though the COVID vaccine roll-out is well underway in Chicagoland, many people can still struggle with lingering symptoms from the virus—particularly the loss of taste and smell. Losing this ability is a big deal, because it takes away one of the great joys in life: the pleasure we experience from enjoying a meal with friends and family. Oftentimes, certain smells can also bring back specific memories, so the loss of taste and smell can impact our ability to remember, and it can bar us from making new memories associated with current smells and tastes we are enjoying (everything from food, perfume, cologne, candles, and all things in nature).
“COVID has impacted so many people with a loss of taste and smell, and we have found that acupuncture has really helped to return people’s sense of taste/smell quicker than it might return on its own (if it even returns at all),” said Dr. Amy Wolf, L.Ac., DACM and founder of Herb + Ōhm.
HOW CAN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE HELP TO TREAT LINGERING SYMPTOMS FROM A NEW VIRUS LIKE COVID?
In TCM, practitioners look for symptom patterns. In the case of COVID-19, the symptom pattern of fever, cough, and shortness of breath relates back to the lung indicating an imbalance. “Everything we experience today goes back to a symptom pattern that reflects imbalance in the body, and once we understand it, we can choose the acupuncture points and other healing modalities (i.e. gua sha, cupping, moxibustion, infrared heat therapy) that can help to restore balance and in turn health to impacted organ systems,” added Wolf. “There are also herbal formulas which, when used as a complement to acupuncture, can help to open the airway, help treat a cough, and help to strengthen the body. These modalities are all designed to work together to improve overall health and wellness.”
In addition to the restoration of taste/smell, what are some of the other benefits people with long-haul COVID symptoms can expect from seeking acupuncture treatment?
Improvement in fatigue
Opening of the chest
Reduction of cough severity and frequency
Decrease in chest pain
Improvement in concentration
Elimination of headaches and muscle pain
Decrease in depression symptoms
Decrease in heart palpitation frequency and severity
Elimination of fever
Most patients can expect to see a change within 3-5 treatments, and from there the duration will depend on the severity and length of symptoms. It is always recommended to continue treatment for as long as you continue to improve. Once symptoms are gone, then we know the body is healed at a deeper level and balanced to the degree that you can take a break from treatment and not worry that symptoms will return.
“Common lingering COVID symptoms often impact the sense of taste and smell, and these are especially challenging in a city with such a great food scene,” says Dr. Amy Wolf, L.Ac., DACM and founder of Herb + Ōhm. “Many of our patients at Herb + Ōhm work in or around downtown Chicago, and our office is conveniently located in the heart of The Loop. After your quarantine or vaccine, we make it easy to address any lingering COVID symptoms while going about your daily life—taking a step toward improving your quality of life in the process.”