It looks like we’re on the other side of the COVID pandemic.  Sure, COVID is still around, but the rapid increase in deaths we once saw is no longer happening and Physical Therapy NOW in Irving is fully operational.  One thing that hasn’t disappeared is COVID itself and, for some, the long-term symptoms that come along with it.  These symptoms have become known by several different names, including Long COVID or Post COVID, Long Haul COVID, Chronic COVID, and more. Regardless of what you call it, the symptoms are all the same.

Physical Therapy can help relieve some of those symptoms, which are listed below.

What are the symptoms of Long COVID?

Long COVID symptoms can include many health problems, lasting anywhere from a couple of weeks, months or even years.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Post-COVID conditions are found more often in people who had severe COVID-19 illness, but anyone who has been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience post-COVID conditions.”

Unlike some other viruses, symptoms with Long COVID can come and go, and the severity of the symptoms can vary greatly from one person to the next. Any combination of Long COVID symptoms which can include:

• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Chest Pain
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Heart Palpitations
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Brain Fog
• Headache
• Lightheadedness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Change in Smell or Taste
• Stomach Pain
• Diarrhea
• Muscle Aches and Pain
• Joint Aches and Pain Joint or muscle pain

How Does Physical Therapy Help Relieve Long COVID Symptoms?

There is promising research that shows treatment for patients with concussions can also help patients with Long COVID symptoms as well.

“COVID infection looks like a brain injury; it has the same metabolic and inflammatory signatures,” explains Kim Gorgens, professor at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver.

Associate professor of mechanical engineering at UD Bradley Davidson also worked on the study alongside Gorgens. In one interview, he said, “Some of the patients that we’ve seen in our research study have had some really debilitating effects from having long COVID.”

Denver News 7 covered this story on physical therapy and long COVID, explaining, “Davidson and his team wondered if they could examine how motor control, motor skills, and movement are affected by COVID-19, and maybe, they could find promising ways to help patients. All of this involves studying eye movement and tracking, along with head movement that Davidson says can traditionally indicate a problem with the brain, which his team has found is treatable by rehabilitation therapy.”

That’s great news for those in Irving and the surrounding area who could be experiencing Long COVID symptoms.

Physical Therapy for Long COVID

Do you think you could be suffering from Long COVID?  See your medical doctor or schedule an appointment with your team at Physical Therapy Now in Irving. We may be able to help.  Call us at (214) 225-0291.