Before 2020, the term ‘Long-COVID’ did not exist. Now it is a term that is a lot more familiar.
What Is Long-COVID?
People who have been in acute hospital with COVID are coming out with a range of problems that require rehab, and there is now new evidence of need among people who were never admitted to hospital, recovering from what is being called Long COVID.
In January 2022 it was reported that an estimated 1.3 million people living in private households in the UK (2.0% of the population) were experiencing self-reported long COVID.
Symptoms can include:
- Breathing difficulties
- Tiredness /fatigue
- Reduced muscle function
- Joint pain
- Impaired ability to perform everyday tasks
- Mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression
- Body pain
- High temperatures
- Headaches
- Palpitations
Physiotherapy is vital to the management process.
We can:
- Assess the individual problems you are presenting with whether it be at home, when your outdoors or at work
- Formulate a personalised management plan
- Aid recovery with fatigue management / breathlessness management / breathing dysfunction management / management of any chest secretions
- Screen for Post Exertional Malaise (PME)
- Anxiety management
- Find ways to support your function and daily activities.
NOTE: The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cautions against using graded exercise therapy for people recovering from COVID-19. Graded exercise therapy (GET) is a structured exercise programme that increases the amount of physical exertion a person performs over time. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) removed graded exercise therapy from the updated ME/CFS guideline. The Workwell Foundation opposes GET in ME/CFS. https://longcovid.physio/exercise
Resources:
https://www.longcovidkids.org/
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206/chapter/Recommendations
https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2815
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/post-covid-syndrome-long-covid/
