COVID-19 Rehabilitation
COVID-19 is a virus that has affected many people across the world, few symptoms include:
• A high temperature
• A new, continuous cough- this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
• Less of taste or smell
• At times people require admission into hospital for intensive care support to help with their breathing, this can cause some patients to experience muscle weakness, shortness of breath and fatigue.
Fatigue:
Patients recovering from COVID-19 often experience a feeling of tiredness and exhaustion both physically and mentally caused by gentle exertion, this will improve in time. The only way to recover and to get stronger is to walk and exercise “little and often”. It is important to pace your activities so you don’t do everything in one go.
Evidence on Rehabilitation
Published case reports from India and west, evidence from countries such as China and Italy and expert opinions of rehabilitation healthcare professionals have highlighted the importance of patient tailored rehabilitation physiotherapy in improving quality of life and Physical performance reducing fatigue, improving respiratory function and depression. Guidelines published in Indian context in the earlier issue of this Journal highlights the importance of screening by physician before enrolling into rehabilitation in view of associated complications of myocarditis and thromboembolism with COVID 19. It also provides the assessment and rehabilitation interventions that can be carried out in context with severity of involvement.
Exercise Considerations
Training principles, applied to patients with chronic lung diseases and concepts of pulmonary rehabilitation can be applied in post-COVID-19 patients. Exercise prescription focuses on the treatment goals based on current patient needs, their physical functions and activity levels. Exercise training begins with simple low intensity graded functional and strengthening exercises, along with respiratory rehabilitation progressively increasing based on subjective symptoms of fatigue and breathlessness and objective parameters of heart rate, saturation response and need of oxygen. Strenuous activities can cause immune suppression and are better avoided.
Detailed assessment for musculoskeletal and neurological impairments also form a part of evaluative protocols for decision making of rehabilitative pathways. Based on muscle performance, functional capacity, fatigue and cardio respiratory response physiotherapy also helps in discharge planning and readiness to return to work.
The Active Cycle of Breathing Techniques (ACBT)
Physiotherapy interventions:
We HEAL Physiotherapy Clinic, are tailored toward holistic rehabilitation to address all system impairments and play a crucial role in facilitating functional recovery, resumption to work and social normality.
We HEAL Physiotherapy Clinic, will be providing a holistic approach to each conditions and support you to get back to what you love to do. Contact us: info@healphysiotherapy.in , www.healphysiotherapy.in
Reference
1. Swaminathan N, Jiandani M, Surendran PJ, Jacob P, Bhise A, Baxi G, Devani P, Agarwal B, Kumar VS, Pinto NM, Damke U, Prabhudesai P. Beyond COVID-19: Evidence-Based Consensus Statement on the Role of Physiotherapy in Pulmonary Rehabilitation in the Indian Context. J Assoc Physicians India 2020; 68:82-89. PMID: 33247653.
2. Da Silveira MP, Da Silva Fagundes KK, Bizuti MR, Starck É, Rossi RC, de Resende ESDT. Physical exercise as a tool to help the immune system against COVID-19: an integrative review of the current literature. Clin Exp Med 2020; 1–14.
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