During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people affected by the virus face a lot of challenges while recovering from the virus attack. Physiotherapy has been contributing a lot to ensure speedy recovery as well as rehabilitation for the Covid-19 patients.
Enhances pulmonary rehabilitation
When it comes to pulmonary rehabilitation, it varies with each patient. Physiotherapy helps to enhance the function of the lungs and reduces the requirement for external oxygen support.
In Covid-19 patients, the virus causes difficulty in breathing that worsens the function of the lungs which affects the normal circulation of blood to the entire body and vital organs.
With the help of different breathing techniques, physiotherapist helps to improve the capacity of the lungs when the patients come out of ventilator support. The primary goal of physiotherapy is to restore the lungs capacity to normal.
Enhanced Mobility
In many cases, patients remain bedridden in the intensive care unit (ICU) for extended periods. Patients often remain in a prone position for many hours, which can cause post-ICU dysphagia, muscle weakness, myopathy, and neuropathy owing to critical illness, as well as reduced joint mobility, pain in the neck and shoulders, difficulty standing, and impaired balance and gait, with consequent limitations in activities of daily living. In these patients, physiotherapy focuses on helping people gain mobility as early as possible.
It starts by helping patients move their arms, legs, and body in the bed. Physiotherapists monitor the vitals like blood pressure, oxygen levels and respiratory rate to make sure the movements are carried out safely. Also, patients are offered help to learn to dress and lift objects around them easily in initial stages.
Helps in better recovery in older people with Cormorbidities
Most patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 are older people with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart diseases, kidney problems, obesity, etc. Physiotherapists forms a part of multidisciplinary approach based on personalised evaluation and treatment intervention and not limited to exercise training.
A lot of people encounter a lot of problems with mental health and physical function while recovering from COVID-19. Physiotherapists help them recover physically and mentally and live healthy life.
Physiotherapy interventions are tailored towards holistic rehabilitation to address all system impairments and play a crucial role in facilitating functional recovery and resumption to work. As a key strategy, Physiotherapy can help minimize the negative impact of COVID-19 on health and functionality.
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