Acupoint Stimulation for Long COVID: A Promising Intervention

"Long COVID" is a series of sustained symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The World Health Organization has defined the long COVID as a post- coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) condition that occurs in individuals with a history of suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset, with symptoms that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis [1]. Most patients with COVID-19 who were infected by SARS-CoV-2 recover spontaneously or after treatment [2], whereas after the acute phase of the disease some suffer from a series of sequelae [3], which is independent of the severity of the initial infection [4]. According to statistics, at least 65 million people have long COVID [3], which poses a long-term threat to human health [5]. Long COVID often involves multiple organs, with its symptoms involving various systems [6], including but not limited to the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems, and exhibits complex clinical signs and symptoms [7]. The most frequent symptoms are palpitations [8], dyspnea [9], concentration and memory deficit [10], fatigue [11], anxiety, and depression [12].

Given the high incidence of long COVID, there is an urgent need to find appropriate and effective therapies to alleviate symptoms and improve patients’ quality of life. Currently, the long-term treatment of long COVID is still in the exploratory stage. Paxlovid (co-packaged nimatrelvir 150 mg and ritonavir 100 mg) alleviates some symptoms and has been approved for use in acute COVID-19; however, Pfizer has not tested the efficacy of the drug for long COVID [13]. Several antiviral drugs, such as remdesivir, molnupiravir, and irmatrelvir, remain active in vitro against current variants, including omicron [14], but fail to improve symptoms of long COVID and may cause gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and sleep disturbances, as well as other side effects [15]. Patients are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative therapies to avoid drug side effects.

In classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy, acupoint stimulation has a virtuous regulatory effect on the body through invasive or non-invasive stimulation of specific acupoints, including various forms of stimulation, such as manual acupuncture (MA) [16], electroacupuncture (EA) [17], and moxibustion [18]. Since ancient times, there has been an accumulation of experience in the prevention and control of infectious diseases using acupoint stimulation therapy [19]. Currently, acupoint stimulation is widely used to treat diseases associated with multiple systems such as the circulatory [20], respiratory [21], and nervous systems [22]. Some patients with long COVID may benefit from acupoint stimulation [23].

Several studies have investigated the role of acupuncture in the prevention [24], treatment [25] and rehabilitation [26] of COVID-19, with the aim of promoting greater efficacy of acupuncture in the fight against COVID-19. Zhang Boli, an academician, and Chao Enxiang, a TCM master, led the development of the Expert Consensus on the Treatment of Common Diseases after Negative Nucleic Acid/Antigen of SARS-CoV-2 infection by Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was issued on 16th January 2023, after the Standardization Office of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine organized experts to discuss its scientific practicability [27]. However, a consensus has not yet been reached regarding acupoint stimulation. Previous studies have shown the efficacy of acupoint stimulation therapy in improving similar symptoms of other diseases, such as palpitations [28], dyspnea [29], sleep disturbance [30], and cognitive impairment [10]. This study provides preliminary evidence that acupuncture could improve a range of symptoms after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, given multiple systems involved in and their common sequelae presented with long COVID, we discuss the potential application of acupoint stimulation for long COVID in comparison with recent studies on acupoint stimulation for the relief of symptoms similar to those of long COVID.

留言 (0)

沒有登入
gif