{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T13:38:31Z","timestamp":1789133911065,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]],"date-time":"2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752019200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Post-COVID sequelae include skin abnormalities with nonspecific characteristics, making disease-specific diagnosis challenging. Conventional treatment primarily relies on modern medical approaches, and the potential of complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, remains underexplored.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Case report<\/jats:title><jats:p>This case describes a patient who developed abnormal skin pigmentation following a COVID-19 infection and was initially diagnosed with five different conditions. After a prolonged period of unsuccessful treatment with conventional medicine, the patient received complementary therapy, leading to significant symptom improvement.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, may prove beneficial in treating skin conditions that lack a definitive diagnosis, as demonstrated in this case.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2025.1598618","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]],"date-time":"2025-07-10T05:47:37Z","timestamp":1752126457000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Exploring the potential of acupuncture as a complementary therapy for post-COVID skin hyperpigmentation: a case report"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Yuan","family":"Xue","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xingyao","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yingying","family":"Duan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qi","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanhong","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xili","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhongheng","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1093\/bjd\/ljad131","article-title":"Three years on, COVID-19 and the skin: long-term impacts, emerging trends and clinical practice","volume":"189","author":"Freeman","year":"2023","journal-title":"Br J Dermatol"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ctcp.2013.06.006","article-title":"Prevalence of visits to five types of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners by the general population: a systematic review","volume":"19","author":"Cooper","year":"2013","journal-title":"Complement Ther Clin Pract"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"419","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2008.11.905","article-title":"Use of complementary and alternative medicine among adults with skin disease: results from a national survey","volume":"60","author":"Smith","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Am Acad Dermatol"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"520","DOI":"10.1089\/acm.2014.0274","article-title":"Acupuncture as a treatment modality in dermatology: a systematic review","volume":"21","author":"Ma","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Altern Complement Med"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.1001\/jamadermatol.2014.3513","article-title":"Using the physician global assessment in a clinical setting to measure and track patient outcomes","volume":"151","author":"Pascoe","year":"2015","journal-title":"JAMA Dermatol"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e088","DOI":"10.5435\/JAAOSGlobal-D-17-00088","article-title":"Validation of digital visual analog scale pain scoring with a traditional paper-based visual analog scale in adults","volume":"2","author":"Delgado","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1093\/ecam\/nep006","article-title":"WHO standard acupuncture point locations","volume":"7","author":"Lim","year":"2010","journal-title":"Evid Based Complement Alternat Med"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1007\/s13555-012-0018-2","article-title":"A new minimally invasive mesotherapy technique for facial rejuvenation","volume":"3","author":"Savoia","year":"2013","journal-title":"Dermatol Ther"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.3892\/mi.2024.208","article-title":"Dermatological complications due to post-COVID-19 syndrome: a systematic review","volume":"5","author":"Cay\u00f3n Figueroa","year":"2025","journal-title":"Med Int"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"402","DOI":"10.20452\/pamw.16402","article-title":"COVID-19 and its long-term sequelae: what do we know in 2023?","volume":"133","author":"Lippi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Pol Arch Intern Med"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2499","DOI":"10.1111\/jdv.16774","article-title":"Cutaneous manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a clinical update","volume":"34","author":"Gisondi","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"648","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-4632.2009.03899.x","article-title":"Acupuncture in dermatology: an historical perspective","volume":"48","author":"Tan","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int J Dermatol"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.2340\/0001555577154156","article-title":"A controlled trial of acupuncture in psoriasis: no convincing effect","volume":"77","author":"Jerner","year":"1997","journal-title":"Acta Derm Venereol"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1148\/radiology.212.1.r99jl04133","article-title":"Central nervous pathway for acupuncture stimulation: localization of processing with functional MR imaging of the brain--preliminary experience","volume":"212","author":"Wu","year":"1999","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103108","DOI":"10.1016\/j.explore.2024.103108","article-title":"Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for melasma: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"21","author":"Su","year":"2025","journal-title":"Explore"},{"key":"ref16","first-page":"482","article-title":"Blood perfusion in different facial acupoint areas and its changes after acupuncture stimulation of Hegu (LI 4) displayed by laser Doppler imager in healthy volunteers","volume":"37","author":"Wang","year":"2012","journal-title":"Zhen Ci Yan Jiu"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Medicine"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2025.1598618\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,10]],"date-time":"2025-07-10T12:13:24Z","timestamp":1752149604000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fmed.2025.1598618\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"references-count":16,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fmed.2025.1598618"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2025.1598618","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-858X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-858X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,9]]},"article-number":"1598618"}}