Acupuncture for Long COVID & Post-Viral Fatigue in San Diego

Classical Chinese Medicine for Persistent Symptoms Post Viral Illness

You had COVID. Or another viral illness. The acute infection passed, but you never fully recovered. Months later, you're still exhausted. Brain fog won't lift. Exercise intolerance appeared out of nowhere. Your nervous system feels dysregulated. Sleep is disrupted. The body that used to bounce back from illness now feels permanently compromised. It feels like the illness robbed you of something vital.

Your doctor says your blood work is normal. The virus is gone. You should be better. But you're not. Conventional medicine has no good explanation for why you're still sick and no effective treatment beyond "rest and wait."

Classical Chinese Medicine has been treating post-viral syndromes for thousands of years. What you're experiencing isn't mysterious. Your body fought a pathogen but couldn't fully expel it. The incomplete recovery created a pattern of latency and depletion that's now causing ongoing symptoms. This pattern has a name, a mechanism, and a treatment in this medicine.

Gateway Acupuncture & Wellness treats Long COVID and post-viral fatigue by releasing the latent pathology your body has been holding and rebuilding the constitutional resources that were depleted fighting the infection.

What Actually Happened When You Got Sick

When a virus enters your body, your Wei Qi (Defensive Qi or immune system) mounts a response. Ideally, the pathogen is completely expelled through fever, sweating, coughing, or other eliminatory processes. You get sick, you recover fully, you return to normal.

But sometimes the body can't complete this process. Particularly if the body is chronically dehydrated. Maybe the pathogen was particularly strong. Maybe you were already depleted from stress or poor sleep. Maybe you pushed through the illness, working and functioning when you should have been resting. Maybe you took medications that suppressed symptoms without allowing full resolution.

When the body can't fully expel a pathogen, it attempts the next best thing: it creates latency. Your body walls off the pathogen, typically in your joints and away from vital organs. The acute symptoms disappear. You seem to recover. But the pathogen is still there, hidden, being actively contained by your immune system, and slowly siphoning energy through act of containment. Your body is buying time for the right opportunity to come along when there is less stress, an expendable supply of energy, time, and plentiful fluids to fully expel the pathogen. In our modern world, those factors rarely align, and for many outside of this medicine, that day doesn’t come.

Classical Chinese Medicine calls that latent, dormant, or hidden pathogenic factor, “Fu Qi”. It's not an active infection anymore, per se. The viral load may be sub-threshold. But the energetic state it created, the inflammation it triggered, the immune response it activated - all of that remains, in your body in a state of energetically-expensive incomplete resolution.

Why You're Still Exhausted

Post-viral fatigue isn't laziness or deconditioning. It's actual constitutional depletion from two simultaneous drains on your resources:

First: Your body is using energy constantly to maintain latency. Containing that pathogen, keeping it from affecting your vital organs, managing the ongoing low-grade inflammation - all of this requires resources. Wei Qi (your defensive energy), Yang Qi (your active energy), Jing (your deepest reserves), Blood and Body Fluids are likely all being diverted to come capacity towards containment instead of normal function.

This is why you're exhausted even though you're "doing nothing." Your body is actually doing a lot, it’s just underneath your level of awareness - it's protecting you from a worse outcome. But the cost is that normal activities now feel impossible because your resources are already spoken for.

Second: Fighting the infection depleted your foundational reserves. The acute illness burned through some portion of your Qi, Blood, Body Fluids, Jing, and Yang. In a normal recovery, these would rebuild during convalescence in someone with enough resources. But in someone who is deficient, latency may be incomplete and their body can't fully replenish because it's still passively fighting. These individuals are trying to function in a state of deficit.

This is different from normal fatigue. Normal fatigue improves with rest. Post-viral fatigue doesn't, because rest alone can't rebuild resources while your body is still attempting to containing a pathogen.

The Symptoms That Won't Resolve

Long COVID and post-viral syndromes create a specific constellation of symptoms that persist because latency is being maintained:

Crushing fatigue - Not just tiredness. Complete energy depletion. Unable to do basic tasks without rest. This is Yang and Qi deficiency from resources being diverted to maintain latency.

Post-exertional malaise (PEM) - Exercise or activity that used to be easy now causes crashes that last days. This happens because you don't have reserve capacity. Any demand exceeds what's available after maintaining latency.

Brain fog - Difficulty concentrating, memory problems, mental sluggishness. This is Blood and Yin deficiency. Your brain isn't receiving adequate nourishment because resources are being used elsewhere.

Dysautonomia - Heart rate spikes on standing (POTS), temperature dysregulation, dizziness. This is Wei Qi and Yang Qi dysfunction. Blood deficiency. Wind. The systems that should regulate these automatic functions have been disrupted by the latent pathology.

Sleep disruption - Can't fall asleep or can't stay asleep despite exhaustion. This is often Heat from the latent pathogen creating restlessness, or Blood and/or Yin deficiency from depletion.

Breathlessness - Shortness of breath with minimal exertion. Lungs feel weak or restricted. The Lung system was the initial site of infection and often holds residual pathology even after the acute illness cleared. The Lungs also govern Qi throughout the body.

Joint and muscle pain - Aching, stiffness, pain that moves around. This is often where the pathogen is being held latent, particularly in the joints.

Chemical sensitivities - Suddenly reacting to foods, smells, medications you tolerated before. Wei Qi (your protective barrier) has been overburdened, making you hypersensitive to external factors.

All of these symptoms persist because the root pattern (latency plus depletion) hasn't been addressed.

Why "Rest and Wait" Doesn't Work

You've been told to rest, give it time, your body will eventually recover. But months pass and you're not improving. Sometimes you're getting worse.

Here's why: Resting helps your body conserve resources, which is important. But in our culture, rest alone can't release the latent pathogen or rebuild the constitutional depletion. Your body is stuck in a holding pattern - maintaining latency, unable to fully expel the pathogen, unable to replenish reserves because containment is still active.

Time doesn't resolve this on its own. Some people do gradually improve over a year or more as their body slowly regains strength, if they have the right constitution and lifestyle, and eventually expels the pathogen. But many people remain stuck, sometimes for years, in this post-viral state because the pattern has crystallized and they are told by the Western medical system that this is something they need to get used to.

Classical acupuncture actively addresses both components: we help your body release what it's been holding (when strong enough), and we rebuild the resources that have been depleted. This shifts the holding pattern toward actual resolution.

How Classical Acupuncture Treats Post-Viral Syndromes

We use a phased approach because releasing latency requires adequate resources:

Phase 1: Assess resources and stabilize

First, we determine if you have enough constitutional strength to release the latent pathogen or if we need to build resources first. If you're severely depleted, attempting to expel the pathogen immediately can overwhelm your system.

During this phase, we focus on:

• Improving sleep quality

• Reducing acute symptoms (breathlessness, heart rate issues, severe fatigue)

• Strengthening Wei Qi to stabilize your defensive barrier

• Beginning to nourish Blood and Qi

Many patients notice meaningful improvement in this phase even before we address the latency directly. Sleep improves. Energy increases slightly. The crashes become less severe.

Phase 2: Release latent pathology

Once you have adequate resources, we use Divergent Channel treatments to release or fully lock back up into latency, what your body has been trying to clean up from the leaking containment attempt. This pulls the latent pathogen out of the joints, tissues, and organs where it's been contained.

What happens: You might experience a brief return of symptoms similar to the original illness - fatigue, achiness, maybe low-grade fever, feeling like you're getting sick again. This is your body completing the fight it started months ago. It typically lasts 2-5 days and then resolves completely, taking the chronic symptoms with it.

This is called a healing event or healing crisis. It feels like getting worse, but it's actually your body finally finishing what it couldn't complete during the acute illness.

Phase 3: Rebuild and restore

After latency releases, we focus on constitutional rebuilding:

• Restoring Jing (your deepest reserves)

• Nourishing Blood to improve brain function and energy

• Strengthening Lung Qi if respiratory symptoms persist

• Rebuilding Yang to restore normal energy and autonomic function

This is when patients report feeling better than before they got sick. The depletion that made you vulnerable to severe illness in the first place is being addressed.

What Treatment Looks Like

Post-viral treatment is individualized based on your pattern, but typically involves:

Acupuncture: Specific points to activate channels and address latency, strengthen Wei Qi, nourish Blood and Yin, restore Yang function.

Divergent Channel treatments: The primary method for releasing latent pathogens. These are done in specific rhythms (classically 3 days on, 3 days off) to give your body time to integrate.

Moxa (warming herb): Used to strengthen Yang Qi and help your body generate the energy needed to expel the pathogen.

Herbal medicine (optional): Some patients benefit from Chinese herbs that support the acupuncture treatment, particularly for Lung Qi restoration or Blood building.

Pacing guidance: We help you understand your current capacity and how to gradually rebuild activity tolerance without triggering crashes. We address dietary and lifestyle habits that shape how your body rebuilds and manage resources.

What Changes Look Like

Recovery from post-viral syndrome happens in stages:

Sleep improves first. Within 4-5 weeks, most patients notice better sleep quality. You fall asleep more easily. Sleep feels more restorative. This is crucial because sleep is when your body rebuilds.

Energy begins to increase. Not dramatically at first, but you notice you can do slightly more without crashing. The baseline level of exhaustion decreases. This happens gradually over weeks.

Brain fog starts to lift. Mental clarity returns. You can focus for longer periods. Memory improves. This typically happens 5-9 weeks into treatment as Blood begins to better nourish the brain again.

Post-exertional malaise decreases. The crashes become less severe, less frequent, shorter in duration. Eventually, you can exercise or be active without multi-day consequences.

Autonomic symptoms stabilize. Heart rate normalizes. Temperature regulation returns. Dizziness decreases. Your nervous system regains the ability to regulate itself.

The healing event occurs. For many patients, there's a brief period (2-5 days) where you feel like you're getting the original illness again. Then it passes, and chronic symptoms that have persisted for months suddenly resolve. Not everyone experiences this dramatically, but it's common. For some people there are several layers of this process that unfold, particularly if they’ve had many infections.

Baseline health returns. This is the goal - not just reducing symptoms but actually recovering. Feeling like yourself again. Having energy. Being able to exercise, work, socialize without constant limitation.

Most patients notice meaningful improvement within 6-8 weeks of consistent treatment. Full recovery typically takes 3-6 months, sometimes longer for severe cases or if the illness was years ago. But some level of recovery is possible, even for people who've been sick for a year or more.

What Patients Are Saying

"Long COVID destroyed my life for eight months. Extreme fatigue, brain fog, couldn't work. After three months with Diego, I'm back to 90% of my pre-COVID function."
— Sarah M., South Park

"The PEM was the worst part. Any activity would trigger a crash lasting days. Diego explained the concepts and after treatment, I could exercise again without collapsing."
— Michael R., Point Loma

"The healing event was really wild. I felt sick but also felt better. For three days I felt like I had COVID again. Then it passed and the symptoms that had lasted for a year went with it."
— Jennifer K., Pacific Beach

Who This Approach Serves

Classical acupuncture for Long COVID and post-viral fatigue is particularly effective for people who:

• Have persistent symptoms months after acute viral illness (COVID, mono, flu, etc.)

• Experience crushing fatigue, post-exertional malaise, or exercise intolerance

• Have brain fog, cognitive dysfunction, or memory problems since getting sick

• Struggle with dysautonomia (POTS, temperature dysregulation, heart rate issues)

• Have tried rest and conventional approaches with minimal improvement

• Want to address the root cause (latent pathogen) rather than just manage symptoms

• Are willing to commit to treatment that actively resolves the pattern, not just supports it

Your First Visit: What to Expect

Initial Patient Intake & Treatment (80 minutes | $225)

Your first session includes:

• Comprehensive illness history including timeline, acute symptoms, what's persisted, what you've tried, and current functional capacity

• Classical diagnostic assessment using pulse reading to identify latent pathology and evaluate constitutional depletion

• Discussion of your energy levels, crashes, triggers, and recovery trajectory

• Personalized treatment plan addressing your unique post-viral pattern

• First acupuncture treatment

Follow-Up Treatments (55 minutes | $180)

Most patients begin with weekly sessions, sometimes twice weekly for the first month if severely depleted. We adjust frequency based on your response and phase of treatment. As latency releases and energy rebuilds, we space sessions out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from managing Long COVID symptoms?

Symptom management (pacing, medications, supplements) helps you function better within your limitations. Classical acupuncture addresses the root cause which is the latent pathogen and constitutional depletion to actually resolve the pattern driving the condition, not just cope with it.

What if I've been sick for over a year?

Even long-standing post-viral syndromes can be improved. Treatment may take longer, but recovery is possible.

Will I experience a healing crisis?

Many patients do, some don’t. The healing event (brief return of symptoms) is a sign your body is completing the expulsion process. This only happens when there is adequate hydration and resources for the expulsion. We prepare you for this and support you through it. It's temporary and indicates resolution is occurring.

Can I continue working during treatment?

Yes, though we may recommend modifications based on your current capacity. The goal is to increase your functional ability over time, not require you to stop everything immediately.

How long does recovery take?

With commitment and compliance to the care plan, most patients notice improvement within 6-8 weeks. Full recovery typically takes 3-6 months of consistent treatment. Severe cases or those who've been sick longer may take 6-9 months. Progress is usually steady once treatment begins.

Do you take insurance?

We operate as a cash-pay practice but provide detailed superbills that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Some insurance plans cover acupuncture for chronic fatigue and post-viral syndromes.

Ready to Begin?

Schedule your initial consultation to explore how Classical Acupuncture can help you recover from Long COVID or post-viral fatigue.

Complimentary Consultation: 15 minutes
Initial Intake & Treatment: 80 minutes | $225
Follow-Up Treatments: 55 minutes | $180