In my previous post, Understanding Long COVID – A TCM Perspective, I discussed how lingering heat and blood stasis are often the hidden drivers behind post-viral fatigue and pain. Today, I want to share a specific clinical case regarding “Miss E,” whose recovery perfectly illustrates how cooling the blood and dissolving stasis can restore health even months after the initial onset.
Patient Profile: Miss E, 33 years old, from Burwood, Melbourne
History: Chronic symptoms following the third COVID-19 vaccination.
Primary Presentation: Palpitations, Shortness of Breath (SOB), generalized musculoskeletal pain, and debilitating migraines.
Identify the Root Cause
While Miss E had many symptoms, the most significant diagnostic clue was her menstrual cycle. She described her period as scanty, dark red, and thick—with a texture like paste.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this is a presentation of Deep Blood Stasis and Latent Heat. When heat lingers in the blood (common in post-viral or post-vaccination states), it “cooks” the fluids, turning the blood from a smooth-flowing liquid into a thick, stagnant “paste.” This “sludge” then blocks the meridians, leading to widespread pain and migraines.
The Treatment Protocol: Moving the Stagnation
We utilized a dual approach of acupuncture and tailored herbal medicine over a three-month period, on a weekly basis.
1. Targeted Acupuncture
We focused on opening the chest and moving stagnation across the “Three Yin” and “Shaoyang” systems:
- Opening the Chest: PC6 and Ren17 to settle palpitations and restore the rhythm of the Heart and Lungs.
- Moving the Blood: SP6 and Liv3 (The Four Gates/Yin support) to break up systemic stasis.
- Clearing Pain: GB34 and SJ5 to address the “sides” of the body and migraines, supported by Ashi (local) points for the generalized body pain.
- Centering: Ren12 to support the digestive “middle” and ensure the body could produce healthy, new blood.
2. The Herbal Strategy: A Modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
The base formula used was Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (Drive Out Stasis in the Mansion of Blood), but because her condition involved deep heat and “paste-like” thickness, we added specific modifications:
- The “Clot-Dissolvers”: Dan Shen was added to aggressively move the blood and break down the “paste-like” clots.
- Cooling the Heat: Sheng Di Huang was increased to cool the blood, while Huang Qin and Zi Cao (Gromwell Root) were added to clear the latent inflammatory heat that was “thickening” her blood.
- Supporting the Zong Qi: To address the SOB and palpitations, we added Wu Wei Zi and Bai He (Lily Bulb) to nourish the Heart and Lungs and “contain” the scattered Qi.
Clinical Outcome: 3 Months Later
After consistent treatment, the results were significant:
- Menses: Restored to a normal, healthy flow—the “paste” texture completely resolved.
- Pain Management: Generalized body pain reduced by 80%.
- Neurological: The frequency of migraines dropped dramatically, appearing only slightly before her period (a sign of minor residual stagnation).
- Vitality: SOB disappeared entirely, and palpitations became only occasional.
Practitioner’s Reflection
Miss E’s case highlights that Long COVID is often a “clogged” system rather than just a “tired” one. When the blood is as thick as paste, the Heart must work harder to pump (palpitations) and the muscles ache from lack of fresh oxygen (pain).
By cooling the blood and “dissolving the clots” through Chinese Medicine, we don’t just mask the symptoms—we restore the blood’s ability to flow, allowing the body to finally heal itself.
Further Reading Miss E’s recovery was centered on resolving “Blood Stasis”—one of the most common patterns I see in my clinic. To understand why blood becomes “thick” like a paste after a viral event and how TCM formulas like Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang work to fix it, please refer to my comprehensive guide: [Understanding Long COVID – A TCM Perspective].