Acupuncture is when very thin needles are inserted into your skin at strategic points on your body. The needles may sometimes be gently moved or twirled after insertion, and heat or mild electrical pulses may be applied. They usually stay in place for 15 to 25 minutes while you lie still and relax. Commonly used to treat pain, its role in medicine has expanded over time—now even more so with this latest finding regarding long COVID. 

“Although acupuncture dates back thousands of years, recent research has revealed the neurological effects within the brain, and this supports the potential effectiveness of acupuncture for treating the symptoms associated with long COVID,” says Calandruccio. 

At Middlesex Health, acupuncture is offered through its Burris Center for Integrative Medicine by Calandruccio, who is a board-certified acupuncturist. Any needles used are properly sterilized and are single use, making the risks associated with this treatment very low. Common side effects could include soreness or minor bleeding or bruising where the needles are inserted. 

Acupuncture is not a substitute for normal medical treatment. Instead, it works alongside it, treating the whole person—body, mind and spirit.

The Middlesex Health Burris Center for Integrative Medicine (MiddlesexHealth.org/Cancer-Center/Supportive-Care-Programs/Integrative-Medicine), with locations in Middletown and Westbrook in Connecticut, offers other integrative medicine modalities in addition to acupuncture, such as massage therapy.