Treating COVID-19: Can Acupuncture Help Prevent the "Cytokine Storm"?
Editorial Staff
If you didn't have any prior knowledge of what a "cytokine storm" is, you probably do now, as it's been widely proposed as a potential reason why some COVID-19 patients suffer severe and even fatal complications. New research suggests acupuncture has the potential to play a critical role in influencing the inflammatory process that can lead to it.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered that acupuncture activates signaling pathways that influence the inflammatory response. Using a mouse model, they found that mice with bacterially induced systemic inflammation who received electroacupuncture showed increases in either anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory markers, depending on the location, intensity and timing of treatment delivery.
"The revelation of somatotopic organization and intensity dependency in driving distinct autonomic pathways could form a road map for optimizing stimulation parameters to improve both efficacy and safety in using acupuncture as a therapeutic modality," stated the researchers, writing in the journal Neuron.
A Harvard news release provides a layman's explanation, particularly in terms of the study's potential relevance to the "cytokine storm":
"In the study, acupuncture stimulation influenced how animals coped with cytokine storm – the rapid release of large amounts of cytokines, inflammation-fueling molecules. The phenomenon has gained mainstream attention as a complication of severe COVID-19, but this aberrant immune reaction can occur in the setting of any infection and has been long known to physicians as a hallmark of sepsis, an organ-damaging, often-fatal inflammatory response to infection."
To read the full text of this study, which of course requires further investigation in humans, click here.
Another approach to regulate the Yang Ming / Tai Yin circuit is to use an extraordinary vessel (EOV) approach. EOV treatments can be essential in a long-haul post-viral state, as they can help restore integrity to the body’s energetic system on the deepest level. Various combinations can be helpful; however, combining Chong Mai with Ren Mai is a good place to start, as it can help to regulate the gut (Chong Mai) and the lungs (Ren Mai).
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Joseph Audette, MD, MA;
Sam Audette, LAc, Dipl. OM
The NCCAOM is excited to announce the completion of its 2023-2024 Job Analysis (JA) Executive Summary report. The JA is a pivotal initiative aimed at defining the core knowledge, skills, and abilities required for competent practice in the acupuncture and herbal medicine profession. The data collected from this survey is essential for updating the NCCAOM exam content outlines at the entry-to-practice level, ensuring the certification exams are relevant, fair, and legally defensible.
As we move into the Year of the Snake, let’s embrace the snake’s deep-thinking nature and ask ourselves four important questions, all of which relate to a single journey: advocating for our medicine by educating others about its value. Now is the time for all acupuncturists to come together to strengthen the profession, share knowledge, advocate for advancement – and help more patients access you as a vital element of their whole-health care.
