While most people fully recover from COVID-19, "long-haulers" experience symptoms that linger for weeks or months beyond the "normal" timeline for recovery.
The most common lasting symptoms include:
💤 Fatigue or weakness 😩 Body aches 💥 Muscle or joint pain 😤 Shortness of breath 🤔 Trouble concentrating 💓 Fast or pounding heartbeat 🤕 Headache 😓 Poor endurance or no ability to exercise 💩 Gastrointestinal symptoms 😴 Sleep problems 😔 Anxiety or depression 🧠 Brain fog or memory issues
Another symptom called post-exertional malaise has been reported in patient-led surveys. PEM is the worsening of symptoms after physical or mental activities. For example, an activity that is easily tolerated one day may worsen symptoms the next.
Since movement 🤸♀️ is essential to recovery, a physical therapist can closely monitor a person's responses to exercise to ensure treatment is not causing PEM or making symptoms worse. Adding additional physical activity is considered safe when symptoms are managed for a person’s energy level during and following exertion.
If you have symptoms of long-COVID, contact your primary care doctor. 👩🏻⚕️
Long-COVID could involve other health complications that require labs, tests, or imaging, before being referred to a PT who will design an exercise treatment plan specific to your condition.
The goal of Physical Therapy is to improve your strength, stamina, and quality of life through prescribed movement and exercise. 💪 Give us a call - 858-457-8419 📞
