It seems like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The vaccination is here and the new infection numbers are gradually falling. Is it possible that this nightmare epidemic is entering its last phase?

Considering how unpredictable the course of the Covid-19 saga has been so far, I wouldn’t hold my breath just yet. Although I hope and pray that this is the case, there are still too many unknowns. Is the vaccine going to be as effective as it was in the trials? Will enough people get immunized? How long is the immunity going to last? Are new strains of the virus going to appear on a regular basis and will they be susceptible to the vaccine? Unfortunately, we don’t yet have answers to these questions, we just have to wait and hope. Meanwhile it is becoming clear that that for many people who have had the Covid-19 infection, the suffering is not over.

10% of Covid patients will continue to experience symptoms for more than 4 weeks

This condition has been named by the doctors as Long Covid. If the symptoms last over 12 weeks then it is called Post Covid Syndrome. This syndrome will occur in 2-5% of Covid infections. It means that already hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are suffering, or have suffered, from some kind of post Covid problems. Actually, the fact that this condition already has an official medical name is very unusual. The fact that there already over 50 (fifty!) NHS centres around the country, dedicated to the treatment of long Covid and post Covid syndrome, is mind-blowing.

This fast-tracking of processes (recognition of a new condition and allocating a treatment for it) which usually takes place over many years – if it happens at all – demonstrates an interesting phenomenon: medical conditions with a wider public appeal tend to get much more attention and resources from the NHS. The most obvious example is cancer. Everyone will tell you that the treatment of cancer on the NHS is first class. The NHS treatment for other (no less lethal and horrible) chronic conditions is much more patchy.

This pattern prevails in the case of many other conditions but none is as obvious as in the case of today’s post: long Covid vs post viral syndrome. Post viral syndrome (PVS) is diagnosed when a patient suffers symptoms weeks, months, or even years following an acute viral infection. It most commonly follows flu, but can also be after a cold, pneumonia, meningitis and other viral infections. In some cases, although much more rare, PVS will occur following a vaccination, not a viral infection. The most common symptoms are fatigue, muscle or joint pains, depression and palpitations (sound familiar?).

PVS is known about by the medical profession for many years now but still is very poorly treated. As PVS doesn’t cause any alterations in blood tests as well as other medical tests, it is often approached with suspicion by the doctor. Is it really a thing? Is there really a disease here or is it all in the patient’s imagination? This slightly helpless approach to the diagnosis of PVS is also reflected in the treatment offered. It includes mainly lifestyle suggestions such as: sleep more hours at night, take naps during the day, drink more water etc. These are hardly going to start a recovery in a patient who suffers from severe PVS symptoms.

Probably due to this unsure attitude and ineffective treatment offered on the NHS, many of the PVS sufferers end up looking for help from a Clinic like mine. I have seen a good number over the years and the good news is that Chinese medicine understanding and treatment of PVS is very good (I will go into more details later).

It is the very fact that PVS is an almost forgotten diagnosis in modern medicine (most PVS patients definitely feel forgotten and ignored) that made it so surprising for me that long Covid has been recognized and acted upon with such an enthusiasm.

As I mentioned earlier, over 50 Centres dedicated to it are operating on the NHS. More than this, each Centre has a multi-disciplinary approach and a patient will be assessed by at least 3 different Consultants according to the symptoms shown. This multi-disciplinary approach is also very unusual for the NHS and I think it again represents the importance given to anything currently relating to Covid-19.

Amazed as I am, I of course welcome this development. I don’t think that there is much, or any, difference between post viral syndrome and post Covid syndrome. Of course, some symptoms may be slightly different, a slightly different virus will cause slightly different damage, but in principle the process is the same. Knowing the long-forgotten and neglected and very frustrated PVS patients, I am happy that the long Covid patient won’t have to suffer the same fate. But is that enough? The approach to PCS patients is much more serious than the approach to PVS patients, which is very important in itself, but what about the treatment? Can modern medicine really help with long Covid or post Covid syndrome?

The guidelines at the moment are that, after comprehensive tests and assessments by the consultants mentioned above (to rule out any other medical condition or organ damage), the patient will be offered treatments like physiotherapy, CBT and breathing exercises. I have all respect for all these therapies, and I am sure they can offer some help, but after seeing a few post Covid cases I feel that they will need much more than that in order to get better.

So, what does Chinese medicine have to offer PVS, PCS patients?

I have written in more depth about the subject. I wouldn’t like to bore you with all the details here, so I’ll go for an overview. Firstly, the reason as to why the Western medicine treatment offered for these conditions is so poor is that there is no understanding of the pathology. As strange as it may sound, Western medicine has no idea what causes the symptoms in these conditions, and no idea what the damage is to the body tissues. As all the tests are negative, the scientists are baffled and lost. However, in Chinese medicine we have, in my opinion, a much better idea of what is going on in these conditions and can therefore offer more effective treatment. This is, of course, not just a notion. I have treated a number of PVS patients over the years, with Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, with very good results in most cases.

The virus can cause long-lasting changes in the body in a few ways:

  • It can cause damage to internal organs and weaken their function.
  • It can cause an accumulation of fluids in the body.
  • It can cause chronic inflammation.
  • It can alter temperature controls.
  • It can cause dryness and it can block the free flow of the Qi (body energy) and blood.

Another scenario is when the virus has not completely left the body. Any of these, or even a combination of two or more can occur following a viral infection and that can cause havoc in the body systems and produce all the familiar symptoms of fatigue, aches, stiffness, dizziness, etc.

A good TCM practitioner will take time in the first consultation to go through all the symptoms and signs in order to determine what type of damage is present in each case. This process is critical: the more accurate the diagnosis the more effective the treatment will be. When we have established the patient’s constitution and the way the body has been affected by the virus, then we will start a treatment with Acupuncture and, in some cases, with Chinese herbal medicine as well.

The treatment will simply aim to correct the damage caused by the virus. For example, if we have a case where the diagnosis is that the virus has caused a weakness in the internal organs (usually spleen, lungs or kidneys) and an accumulation of fluids, then the herbs and Acupuncture points we will use will be aimed at strengthening the organs and drying the excess fluids. As I mentioned earlier, this simple approach to treatment has been tried and tested for many years now and usually yields very good results.

Acupuncture treatments in Leicester for Long COVID?

I hope many long Covid and post Covid syndrome patients will find their way to an experienced Chinese medicine practitioner to find relief from these debilitating conditions. I also hope that the forgotten post viral syndrome patients will get a bit more recognition and attention from the medical establishment.

Good Health Everyone,
Dr Ilan Shahor