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As I write this, the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end in most of the world. However, the lingering health problems stemming from this infection – “long COVID” – are still with us, and probably will be as long as the virus continues to lurk in the human population.
If You’ve Seen One Long Hauler, You’ve Seen One Long Hauler Long COVID can influence any function of the human body, so the signs and symptoms vary from one person to another. If you’ve seen one long hauler, you’ve seen one long hauler. Headache, neck pain, back pain, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog, and loss or disturbance of the sense of smell are just a partial list of long COVID problems.
With this bewildering diversity of long COVID ailments, the types of health practitioners that can help will vary from one patient to another. The Veteran’s Administration has published a guide titled Whole Health System Approach to Long COVID. It includes suggestions on when to see particular practitioners, including neurologists, cardiologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and chiropractors, to name a few.
Chiropractic and Long COVID My chiropractic practice has published two case reports involving the care of long haulers. One patient was a 59-year-old photographer who experienced headaches whenever she attempted to read. After three chiropractic adjustments over a period of 18 days, she was able to read an entire book over a two-day period with no headaches or any other ill effects. A second patient was a 58-year-old real estate agent with a reduced sense of smell and fatigue. After ten chiropractic adjustments over a six-week period, her sense of smell was beginning to normalize, and her fatigue was at pre-COVID levels.
Chiropractic care is not a cure for long COVID – a condition we still do not understand well. However, chiropractic adjustments can enhance the resilience of the nervous system, enabling some long COVID victims to better cope.
A Drug and a Bug Recent research indicates that one factor in long COVID is disruption of mitochondria. These are microscopic structures within the cells of your body. Their primary function is to produce cellular energy. Everything you do in life, from running to simply thinking, depends on normal mitochondrial function.
One way that the COVID-19 virus disturbs mitochondrial function is by interfering with the production of an important enzyme – coenzyme Q-10. Without adequate coenzyme Q-10, energy levels plummet in your body’s cells.
Certain drugs can interfere with coenzyme Q-10 as well. Among these are the drugs in the statin category. Many people rely on statins to regulate their blood cholesterol levels. For these people, long COVID can create a “perfect storm” – a drug and a “bug” (COVID-19 virus) both disrupting the mitochondria at the same time.
Food for Cellular Energy Maintaining adequate levels of coenzyme Q-10 is important for anyone wishing to maintain optimal health. For long haulers who are also statin users, it is crucial. Dietary sources of this coenzyme include fish, nuts, seeds, broccoli, and avocado.
In addition to coenzyme Q-10 from your food, you produce this substance internally as well. The biochemical reactions that make this possible require the vitamins of the B-complex. Good food sources of the B-complex are fish, lean meat, and whole grains such as brown rice.
Coenzyme Q-10 and B-complex are readily available as supplements. If you are on any medication, please consult with your medical doctor or pharmacist before taking these supplements, to avoid adverse interactions with your drugs.
About the Author While serving as a medical specialist (MOS 91-B) in the U.S. Army Reserve, Dr. Masarsky earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College in 1981. He is in the private practice of chiropractic in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC with his wife and partner, Dr. Marion Todres-Masarsky. For research citations related to this article, contact Dr. Masarsky at viennachiropractic@verizon.net. Also visit his practice’s website, and YouTube channel.
Sources for this article: Whole Health System Approach to Long COVID. August 1, 2022. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/n-coronavirus/docs/Whole-Health-System-Approach-to-Long-COVID_080122_FINAL.pdf
Masarsky CS, Todres-Masarsky M. Long Haul COVID-19 and Subluxation: A case report. Asia-Pac Chiropr J. 2022;2.6. Full text: ttps://apcj.rocketsparkau.com/site_files/4725/upload_files/MasarskyLongCOVIDCR.pdf?dl=1
asarsky CS, Todres-Masarsky M. Long COVID Hyposmia/Parosmia and subluxation: A case report. Asia-Pac Chiropr J. 2022;3.2. Full text: https://www.apcj.net/site_files/4725/upload_files/MasarskyHyposmia.pdf?dl=1
