Long Covid

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has put forth the following clinical definitions for SARS-CoV-2 (aka COVID-19) infection:

Acute COVID-19: Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19 for up to 4 weeks.

Ongoing Symptomatic COVID-19: Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 from 4 to 12 weeks.

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: Signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with COVID-19, which continue for more than 12 weeks, and can not be explained by another diagnosis.

How Can Physiotherapy Help Manage Long COVID?

People experiencing Long COVID may present with different symptoms at different severities. Additionally, Long COVID can be unpredictable, and symptoms can change over time. However, for many of the symptoms associated with Long COVID, there is a role for Physiotherapy management. Physiotherapists are not only trained in orthopedic assessment and treatment, but they also receive extensive training in assessment and rehabilitation of respiratory and cardiovascular systems and are skilled in provided individualized exercise programs to meet their clients goals.

Here are some ways that Physiotherapy can help those experiencing Long COVID.

Fatigue

• Education on energy conservation techniques
• Education on activity pacing and prioritization

Respiratory Management

• Techniques to optimize breathing patterns
• Relaxation techniques
• Cough and airway clearance techniques

Pain Management

• Manual therapy to ease pain
• Education on pain management techniques you can use to manage pain at home

Exercise and Mobility

• Supervised in-clinic exercise to improve strength, mobility and cardiorespiratory function
• Individualized home exercise programs
• Manual therapy techniques to improve mobility of muscles and joints that may be limiting your breathing or ability to move