Holistic Medicine for Post-Viral Symptoms and Immune Recovery

Author: Blake Estape L.Ac.

As bad as illness is, almost just as taxing is the recovery period afterwards. We’re expected to get back to the business of work and raising families as quickly as possible, so it isn’t unusual for the sequelae of disease to linger long after we’ve ‘recovered.’

Millions of people have been exposed to the SARS-CoV2 virus, and now months later we are beginning to understand more about the consequences of infection. Post-viral fatigue, loss of smell and taste, brain fog and chronic cough have been widely reported. Recent studies suggest people who have been infected by COVID-19 might be at higher risk of mental illness. Frustratingly, patients are being told that there isn’t much they can do about these complaints except rest.

Treatment is Available

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupuncture and herbal formulas, has been used since 211 AD in the treatment of lingering pathogens. During the SARS outbreak in 2003 – another strain of coronavirus – TCM was used to great effect in the control and rehabilitation of the virus. Likewise, when COVID-19 struck Wuhan herbal medicine was present on the front lines.

Patients who employed TCM with modern treatments suffered less severe symptoms, recovered quicker, and reported fewer post-viral complications. As further research is done into the mechanisms of herbal medicine, the elegant combination of natural ingredients has been proven effective.

Regulating Immunity

Viral infection instigates immune response, which when it becomes excessive can lead to what’s called the cytokine storm. Over-expression of these inflammatory proteins causes a chain reaction leading to life threatening illness. Herbal formulas like Xuanfei Baidu Tang regulate t-cells and their immune factors to prevent the onset of cytokine storm, while also bolstering immunity in post-viral cases where immune response is diminished.

Antiviral Activity

Many common herbal medicines have been shown to inhibit viral activity. Herbs such as Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, known in TCM as Gancao, were discovered to have a strong therapeutic effect especially against SARS-CoV strains. During the recovery phase use of herbal formulas can eliminate viral expression and strengthen the body against their reproduction.

Hastened Recovery

Wide-spread use of TCM in Chinese hospitals saw impressive results. Patients treated with herbal formulas and acupuncture saw a 41% improvement in post-viral symptoms and were far less likely to develop serious chronic illness. The combined use of Chinese and Western medicine was so efficacious that it was used in over 90% of cases.

If you feel like you’re still struggling to kick that old illness, or if you’re looking to strengthen your immunity to fight off the next threat, then consider TCM as an adjunct to your healthcare routine. The less time you spend healing, the more time you can spend going about living.

Sources:

Zhao, Z., Li, Y., Zhou, L., Zhou, X., Xie, B., Zhang, W., & Sun, J. (2020, August 20). Prevention and treatment of COVID-19 using Traditional Chinese medicine: A review. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7439087/

Li, Q., Wang, H., Li, X., Zheng, Y., Wei, Y., Zhang, P., . . . Tong, X. (2020, July 10). The role played by traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating COVID-19 in China. Retrieved April 11, 2021, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11684-020-0801-x