You beat COVID-19. Maybe months ago, maybe years ago by now. So why do you still struggle with brain fog that makes everything take twice as long? Or the weird chest tightness that comes and goes? Or the exhaustion that never improves, no matter how much sleep you get?
That’s the frustrating thing about long COVID. While you may be technically “better,” your body can get stuck in a weakened recovery mode.
The good news is that you don’t have to live with these symptoms for the rest of your life. Acupuncture is helping more and more people manage the symptoms of long COVID gently, naturally, and effectively.
Let’s take a closer look at why acupuncture for long COVID works and how it could help you feel more like yourself again.
What Is Long Covid?
Long COVID (also called post-COVID-19 syndrome) refers to a range of symptoms that linger for weeks or even months after the initial infection has cleared.
While most people recover from COVID-19 within a few weeks, others are left with a confusing mix of lingering issues that affect their energy, focus, breathing, and overall wellbeing.
You don’t need a severe case of COVID to develop long COVID. In fact, many people who only had mild symptoms (or even no noticeable symptoms at all) still experience long-term effects.
Why Does Long COVID Happen?
In short, we don’t know. Researchers are still studying the exact causes, but some likely culprits are:
- Ongoing inflammation in the body
- Nervous system disruption or dysregulation
- Immune system overdrive or dysfunction
- Blood flow and oxygen delivery issues
- Viral remnants lingering in certain tissues
In East Asian medicine, however, this lingering illness makes more sense. We look at these symptoms as signs that your body’s internal systems – like your lungs, digestion, and immune system – are out of balance. Because we treat the whole body, not just the virus, therapies like acupuncture work to restore your energy, improve circulation, and calm the immune system so your body can start to feel strong again.
Is it Long COVID?
Many of the symptoms of long COVID mimic symptoms of overwork, stress, poor sleep, or a weakened immune system. So, it’s not always obvious when long COVID is at play. But, here are a few common signs:
- You’re unusually tired, no matter how much rest you get
- You have trouble concentrating or remembering things (brain fog)
- You notice shortness of breath or tightness in your chest
- You feel “off” emotionally, anxious, moody, or easily overwhelmed
- You’re having digestive issues that weren’t there before you got sick
- You just don’t feel like yourself, even though you’re “healthy” again
If any of this sounds familiar, acupuncture might be the missing piece in your recovery.
Long COVID Symptoms Acupuncture Can Improve
Long COVID doesn’t look the same for everyone. Two people can have the same virus and walk away with completely different long-term symptoms. That’s part of what makes it so frustrating, but also why a personalized, whole-body approach like acupuncture can be so helpful.
Here are some of the most common (and often confusing) long COVID symptoms we see, and how acupuncture may help support relief.
1. Persistent Fatigue
Long COVID fatigue can feel like your batteries never fully recharge – no matter how much sleep you get or how early you go to bed. Even simple tasks wipe you out, and exercise that used to feel easy now leaves you exhausted.
How acupuncture helps:
Acupuncture can help regulate your nervous system and stress response, which both play a big role in energy levels. On a physiological level, acupuncture has been shown to influence the autonomic nervous system, improve circulation, and modulate inflammatory pathways, all of which support better energy production and recovery.
From an East Asian medicine perspective, we think of this as rebuilding your Qi (vital energy), especially in the Lungs and Spleen, so your body has more reserves to draw from day to day.
2. Brain Fog and Trouble Focusing
Many people with long COVID describe feeling “foggy,” slow, or not as sharp as before. You might lose words mid-sentence, forget what you walked into a room for, or struggle to stay on task. For many people, this is most noticeable at work, where tasks you used to blow through easily now feel like they take much more brain power.
How acupuncture helps:
Acupuncture increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and can influence neurotransmitters involved in focus, memory, and mood. It also helps calm chronic inflammation, which may be related to brain fog in long COVID.
In our experience, people often report feeling clearer, lighter, and more mentally “present” after a series of acupuncture treatments.
3. Shortness of Breath and Chest Tightness
Even after the infection is gone, some people still feel like they just can’t take a full, satisfying breath. Climbing stairs, walking, or even talking too long can leave you feeling winded or tight in the chest.
How acupuncture helps:
Acupuncture can improve lung function by relaxing the respiratory muscles, stimulating the diaphragm, and improving blood flow to the chest. It also helps regulate the autonomic nervous system to smooth out breathing patterns.
In East Asian medicine terms, the Lungs are responsible for the movement of Qi throughout the body. When Lung Qi is weakened or blocked after a viral illness like COVID-19, you may feel short of breath or tight in your chest. Acupuncture treatment focuses on strengthening and “opening” the Lung system so breathing feels easier and more natural again.
4. Heart Palpitations and Irregular Heartbeat
Some people with long COVID notice their heart racing, pounding, or skipping beats. This is most noticeable when standing up or walking.
How acupuncture helps:
Acupuncture helps calm the cardiovascular system by regulating the autonomic nervous system (your internal “gas and brake pedals”). When your sympathetic system (fight-or-flight) is overactive, your heart can feel like it’s always revved. Acupuncture gently boosts the parasympathetic system (rest-and-digest), which can reduce palpitations, ease chest sensations, and help your heart settle into a steadier rhythm.
From an East Asian medicine perspective, we often support both the Heart and Kidney systems to create a sense of inner stability and calm, both physically and emotionally.
5. Digestive Issues (Bloating, Nausea, IBS-Type Symptoms)
After COVID, some people develop strange new gut issues: bloating, nausea, alternating constipation and loose stools, or a stomach that just feels “off.”
How acupuncture helps:
Your gut and nervous system are deeply connected. Acupuncture can help regulate the gut-brain axis, improving motility (how food moves through your system), easing nausea, and calming inflammation in the digestive tract.
In East Asian medicine, we see this as a disruption of the Spleen and Stomach, which are responsible for transforming food into energy. Acupuncture works to strengthen and rebalance these systems so digestion feels smoother and more comfortable again.
6. Anxiety, Low Mood, and Sleep Problems
Living with long COVID is stressful on its own – especially when you’re not sure why you don’t feel like yourself. Then, the symptoms themselves can trigger anxiety, low mood, or insomnia. You might feel on edge, down, or unable to fully relax, even when you’re exhausted.
How acupuncture helps:
Acupuncture has a calming effect on the nervous system. It helps lower stress hormones like cortisol, increases feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin, and supports deeper, more restful sleep. Over time, this can help reduce anxiety, ease depressive symptoms, and build emotional resilience.
In East Asian medicine, we often say we are calming the Shen (the spirit or mind), so you feel more grounded, safe, and settled in your body again.
Bounce Back from Long COVID with 120 Acupuncture Clinic
Long COVID is tricky. You feel better, but not completely. Lingering symptoms like brain fog, shortness of breath, and digestive issues are easy to overlook or chalk up to “stress,” but often there’s something deeper at play. We can help fix it.
Acupuncture offers a more strategic approach to recovering fully from long COVID than healthy habits alone. It doesn’t replace your medical care or testing, but it can work alongside conventional care to help your body reset by reducing inflammation, supporting your immune and nervous systems, and rebuilding your energy over time.
If you’re ready to explore a more holistic path to healing from long COVID, we’re here to support you. Call 120 Acupuncture Clinic at 1-818-980-7979 or book a consultation here to get started on your unique path to recovery today.