Integrative Medicine Practitioners Are Paving The Way for Traditional Medicine to Develop Post-COVID Clinics

Over the past year, I’ve talked a lot about Long COVID and the lingering symptoms associated with it, and given suggestions for treatment plans that people can take to their regular practitioners to implement steps to bounce back. I’m not the only doctor in the holistic medicine world to do this—and my colleagues and I are definitely helping to lead the charge for traditional medicine experts to open Post-COVID clinics.

For long-haulers suffering with COVID symptoms that won’t go away, clinics specializing in these types of post-COVID 19 treatment plans are imperative.

Debilitating Post-COVID Symptoms That Won’t Quit

Current data suggests that 10-30% of people who come down with symptomatic COVID will have lingering symptoms from their infection. These can range from fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, headaches and mood disturbances to neurological symptoms and weird skin manifestations. As of the writing of this, there have been over 27 million cases in the U.S. alone, which means that a significant number of people will be needing Post-COVID treatment.

But where are these hoards of people able to turn for relief?

Traditional Medicine Institutions Are Starting to Open Post-COVID Clinics—But Are They Already Behind the Curve?

This article published January 28, 2021, documents the Long COVID trend at leading medical institutions. From Mayo and Penn to Mt. Sinai, leading centers are opening Post-COVID clinics to address this growing need.

However, currently, the purpose of these centers is mainly data collection and research. What intrigues me is that in the integrative and functional medicine community, we have been sharing our experiences and treatments for COVID and Post-COVID from the very beginning.

I’ve been seeing and treating Long COVID patients in my clinic since last summer. The Institute for Functional Medicine wrote their 1st white paper on the topic all the way back in April 2020. At Eastern Virginia Medical Center, Dr. Paul E. Marik, MD and his critical care group were the first in the country to publish an integrative approach to both prevention and treatment of COVID in and out of the hospital.

I’m also involved in a group of over 200 practitioners who focus on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. From the very beginning, this field of experts recognized the immune system inflammation caused by COVID—and they also realized that treatments related to these Mast Cells could help both acute COVID and Post-COVID.

On the flip side, aside from the Post-COVID research clinics that are starting to emerge, we just haven’t heard much out of the traditional medicine world to offer solutions for long haulers.

Post-COVID Clinics and Treatment: Keep On Eye on the Functional & Integrative Medicine World

I guess my point in all this is that from the beginning, experts in this country (and around the world) have been looking for novel approaches to this new infection. From high-dose vitamin D to IV vitamin C, zinc, and now ivermectin and Mast Cell treatments, the integrative and functional medicine community has been at the tip of the spear on researching, trialing, and then sharing in their communities these new emerging treatment options.

To keep up with these emerging treatments and information on this topic, just continue to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube, read the articles posted here on the blog —and don’t forget to share the information and spread the word!