Physical Therapy After Covid: Addressing Post-Covid Syndrome
Have you recently had COVID and are recovering? Are you feeling physically deconditioned or experiencing generalized weakness and muscle fatigue after Covid? You may be experienced Post-Covid Syndrome, or “Long Covid.” Post-Covid Syndrome refers to lingering physical symptoms that you can experience after acute Covid infection that limit your function and independence. Physical therapists play a critical role in helping you recover from the long-term effects of Covid, regain function, strength, and mobility, and return to daily activities confidently.
What is Post-Covid Syndrome?
Post-Covid Syndrome refers to lingering physical symptoms that individuals experience after acute Covid infection that limit their function and independence. Physical complications and deconditioning after Covid can persist for months.
Lasting Covid symptoms can include fatigue, generalized muscle weakness, body aches, shortness of breath and decreased lung capacity, trouble concentrating, headaches, muscle or joint pain, poor endurance, fast or pounding hearts, and brain fog. Symptoms can worsen after physical activity, which is known as “post-exertional malaise.”
Physical Therapy After Covid
Physical therapy plays a crucial role in helping individuals recover from the long-term effects of Covid infection and regain function, strength, and mobility. At Mangiarelli Rehabilitation, our physical therapists conduct a thorough assessment of the patient, including a musculoskeletal and neuromuscular examination.
From there, our therapists design an exercise conditioning program tailored to the patient’s specific needs and condition so they can progressively improve overall fitness, balance, function, and mobility. The exercise program is progressive, ensuring each patient is consistently improving at a manageable pace with supervision from your therapist. Our therapists carefully monitor patients during each session to ensure they are safe and stable, checking your blood pressure, pulse, and heart rate before and after each physical therapy session.
A 2021 case study assessed a 37-year-old woman with Post-Covid Syndrome and revealed that physical therapy was effective in improving her symptoms and regaining strength. The patient engaged in two physical therapy sessions a week for 8 weeks. Her treatment included aerobic training, strengthening exercises, and diaphragmatic breathing training. Over the course of treatment, she saw improvements in muscle strength, physical function, and exercise capacity.
Post-Covid physical therapy treatment can include:
Low-impact aerobic exercise on a recumbent bike or walking
Strength training of the upper and lower body
Respiratory exercises and diaphragmatic breathing training
Posture retraining to ensure full lung capacity
Balance and positioning awareness
Manual therapy of muscles or joints where pain exists and of the chest and spine as needed
Education on energy conservation and activity modification to manage fatigue and weakness
Are you currently recovering from Covid? Have you been dealing with lingering symptoms months after recovering from Covid? Come work with our physical therapists and start your journey to regaining strength, function, and independence in a safe, supportive environment!
