While the world is waiting for pins and needles for a vaccine, acupuncture could provide relief for people suffering from the coronavirus.
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that acupuncture can help reduce inflammation in mice.
Traditional Chinese practice affects the ability of rodents to cope with a cytokine storm – an overly aggressive immune response that has been found to lead to pneumonia, pneumonia and death in some COVID-19 patients, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Neuron.
A number of drugs are currently being tested to try the sometimes fatal reaction, but Harvard researchers say this classic Chinese medical practice may be the answer.
“This is exciting news,” acupuncturist Sara Reznikoff, who was not involved in the study, told The Post. “It’s always fun when Western studies make a reserve of the ancient healing medical system of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.”
However, the findings do not surprise them.
‘Acupuncture is fantastic at triggering the innate healing capacity of the body, helps in inflammation and calming the nervous system. I have seen great results in my practice, treating patients with post-COVID-19 symptoms, ”said Reznikoff, who runs her own practice in Brooklyn. “I’m glad acupuncture is being considered in the fight against COVID19 – anything that helps.”
Although the findings are now relevant, they could have implications long after the world returns from the pandemic, the researchers said.
Cytokine storms have received mainstream attention as a complication of severe COVID-19, but this aberrant immune response can occur at the onset of any infection and has long been known by physicians as a sign of sepsis, an organ damage, often fatal. inflammatory response to infection ”explained a press release for the study.
Another study described the reaction as such: “The term ‘cytokine storm’ refers to vivid images of an immune system gone wrong and an inflammatory reaction flying out of control.”
In the new study, researchers found that mice experiencing a cytokine storm had a 40% greater chance of survival if they were treated with electroacupuncture. Similarly, acupuncture worked well as a preventative practice: Mice that were treated with acupuncture before developing a cytokine storm experienced lower levels of inflammation and their survival rate increased from 20 to 80%.
.
