One of the many issues concerning people in these strange days is how to treat what has become known as Long Covid, continuing symptoms suffered by those who appeared to recover from the virus but who have not got back to what they describe as ‘normal’. These symptoms can be varying levels of fatigue, breathlessness, muscle or joint pain and ‘brain fog’, but how can these draining effects be alleviated? Recent guidelines issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) have instructed doctors not to keep offering painkillers to those with chronic primary pain, but to prescribe exercise and acupuncture instead.
For those not up to a stroll along the seafront or on the South Downs, a short walk around the block will get you started, daily if possible, which can be gradually increased if you are up to it. Any exercise is better than none, but be kind to yourself.
Access to effective alternative treatments is patchy across the country, but in Brighton & Hove we are lucky to have a number of experienced, qualified practitioners. The NICE recommendation of acupuncture may not appeal to those afraid of needles, in which case they might consider Classical Five Element Acupuncture (CFEA) where, after a detailed consultation, the practitioner rapidly and expertly applies the fine needle to the correct area and then immediately removes it. CFEA practitioners are witnessing far more complete recoveries in their patients after even a few treatments.
As we emerge out of lockdown into the long-awaited spring, involving exercise and natural health approaches can help shift the balance of health positively into feeling well again, after all the extraordinary challenges posed by Covid-19.