What is long COVID?
Long COVID is the term used for those who have had COVID-19 and continue to experience symptoms of the virus more than 3 months post-recovery. When suffering from long COVID, your life can be drastically altered; you may find you are out of breath more often or experiencing discomfort and are unable to do the things you enjoyed doing before. Many of these long COVID symptoms can be improved with long COVID rehabilitation. You can also experience similar and mild variations of long COVID after vaccinations. If you suspect you are suffering from long COVID or any breathing-related discomforts, we can help!
What are long COVID symptoms?
- You feel fatigued if you push yourself, or you worsen pre-existing symptoms after doing too much
- You experience breathlessness, brain fog or chest pain
- You might feel faint when changing position (orthostatic intolerance)
- You notice fluctuations in your heart rate
- You start hyperventilating or develop dysfunctional breathing patterns
There is a long list of symptoms experienced by people with Long COVID, they vary between individuals but can include:
- Headaches
- Very high levels of persistent physical and mental fatigue
- Muscle or joint pain
- Dizziness
- Anxiety & depression
- Inability to tolerate exercise
- Gut issues
- Persistent cough
Can you recover from long COVID?
In general, yes, but depending on your symptoms, you may have a longer or shorter journey than others suffering from long COVID. It is important that you have been seen by your GP, as there may be other specialist referrals or medical investigations indicated. Once cleared medically, physiotherapy can play a significant role in long COVID rehabilitation, where a personalised treatment plan focusing on your particular post-COVID symptoms can help in aiding your recovery.
How Breathing Works Can Help with Long COVID Rehab
The COVID-19 virus affects the lungs and respiratory system, and its effects can be felt long after the virus has left the body. Physiotherapy is key to long COVID rehabilitation. At Breathing Works, we specialise in the management of disordered breathing and believe that breathing well is the foundation of health and movement.
Our team are considered world leaders in rehabilitating dysfunctional breathing, and we were part of an international group of expert physios who delivered a guided rehabilitation education course for health professionals in managing long COVID symptoms. We are constantly evolving our approach as new research comes into publications. Knowing that all our staff are up to date with the latest research gives you confidence that you are getting the very best rehabilitation and care you can get for long COVID.
You can read more about our courses for all health professionals at our sister company BradCliff’s website (https://www.bradcliff.com/courses-online-classroom/long-covid-course).
A long COVID rehabilitation recovery program consists of treatment sessions that are focused on helping patients feel more in control of and understand their symptoms, as well as assisting with relief and recovery.
We deliver tailored assessments and treatments, including:
- A thorough initial history and objective assessment
- Screening for Post Exertional Malaise (PEM) / Post Exertional Symptom Excerbation (PESE).
- Activity pacing
- Symptom control focused physical activity
- Breathing retraining for dysfunctional breathing and hyperventilation
- Heart rate monitoring to manage load and control symptom flare ups
- Relaxation strategies to optimise sleep and enhance your recovery
- Autonomic conditioning and graded return to activity as appropriate
- Long term management of persistent symptoms
Our passionate and experienced team of physiotherapists are here to help.
If you believe you are experiencing the effects of Long COVID and are seeking more information about how long COVID rehabilitation can help you, get in touch with us on 09 522 1122 or at bw@breathingworks.com.