Post-Covid Physiotherapy Care
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Post Covid symptoms and how we can help!
While for many people diagnosed with COVID, symptoms are mild and last for a few weeks. For others, symptoms can persist for 2 months or longer.
These include:
- Fatigue and a lack of energy
- Muscle weakness
- Joint stiffness
- Decreased mobility and general fitness
- Breathlessness with little exertion
These symptoms can make regular daily activities and exercise difficult. Through pacing, a progressive exercise routine, symptom monitoring and rehab, recovery is possible.
Pacing
As you are recovering from COVID it may feel overwhelming to attempt to do all the usual activities that you are used to. Prioritise the most important tasks first and have breaks scheduled before you move onto another task. Avoid rushing and slow down your activities as this will take less energy. Start with small amounts of activities and increase the amount you can do as you feel able to do so.
Exercise
Walking is the easiest way to exercise to improve your fitness and strength. Begin at a level which you find manageable and doesn’t cause too much fatigue, this can even be as much as 10 mins a day. Monitor how you feel throughout and afterwards; if it felt easy, moderate or hard. When the amount of walking you are doing becomes easy you can increase by 5 mins.
Breathlessness
A feeling of shortness of breath with simple activities can last after COVID. There are different methods which can assist with this;
- Avoid breath-holding during activities, for example, climbing stairs or bending.
- Breath out on effort, such as when bending, lifting, reaching or standing up from a chair or when walking.
- Positions of ease are a simple method of increasing the flow of oxygen into your lungs with minimal effort, these include leaning forward on a chair or table in standing or sitting.
- Pursed lip breathing; breathing in through your nose and breathing out through narrowed lips is a great way to slow down your breathing.
How we can help!
Should you feel that you are finding activities difficult despite increasing your activities as above then it is possible that you need a personalised programme tailored specifically to you and your goals. Here at Premier Physiotherapy, we will assess you thoroughly taking into account your medical background, severity of COVID and any previous injuries. We will work with you on a recovery program which combines strengthening, stretching and aerobic exercise to get you back to doing your favourite activities!
Sinead Folan is one of our Senior Physiotherapist at Premier Physiotherapy. She has years of experience as a Physiotherapist, working in the Singapore and Ireland. She, and all the team at Premier Physiotherapy, are committed to helping clients remain painfree, mobile, independent and doing the things they love to do.
