After COVID: Will I ever feel normal again?

Article by our certified Physical Therapist team led by Frank J. Scerbo, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS, Michael E. Pomykala, PT, DPT, CSCS, Adrian Lorenzo, PT, DPT, CSCS, Kyle McDonough, PT, DPT, CSCS Frankie Goris, PT, DPT, CSCS, and Hazel Luque, PTA. ///

We doubt that there’s a single person in our area who has not been negatively affected in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic over these two long years – and counting. Even for those who have avoided the illness itself, there’s the physical, mental, and emotional stress caused by isolation, disrupted professional and personal lives, anxiety about the safety of ourselves and our loved ones.

At Scerbo Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation, we know these stressors should not be diminished or overlooked, because they have a very real impact on individual health. As physical therapists, we’ve been feeling more and more concerned about these impacts and their potential harm to our patients’ short and long-term well-being. This is where physical therapy can, and does, help. Let us share with you some of our insights into recovering from COVID if you’ve had the disease, and also if you haven’t.

Post-infection Rehabilitation
If you’ve been in the hospital for COVID-19 treatment, continuing physical rehabilitation after your release is essential to help you work toward resuming normal activities. On top of being invaded by a disease organism, any hospital stay quickly weakens our physical bodies, and a prolonged stay can be seriously debilitating. Physical therapy helps those who have muscle weakness, low exercise endurance, weakness, or fatigue to gradually build up their stamina.

Evidence from one randomized controlled trial cited in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, found that individualized physical therapy significantly improved physical function and fitness post-infection compared with a control group.

“Long” COVID
We’ve been hearing more and more about the way this virus can have effects that linger for weeks and even months, after the initial infection is cleared. According to the Mayo Clinic, common signs and symptoms that can linger over time include:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Cough
• Joint pain
• Chest pain
• Memory, concentration, or sleep problems
• Muscle pain or headache
• Fast or pounding heartbeat
• Loss of smell or taste
• Depression or anxiety
• Fever
• Dizziness when you stand
• Worsened symptoms after physical or mental activities

If you have any of these post-COVID-19 effects that persist for more than four weeks, don’t assume that you have to accept a diminished lifestyle going forward.  At Scerbo, we will work with you to restore your strength, balance, coordination, energy, and confidence in your future wellness.

Getting Back to Normal
As we know too well, New Jersey is one of the states that has been hit hard by COVID-19. Whether you were hospitalized or at home during your illness, if you’re a COVID “long-hauler,” or if you didn’t have the virus but feel generally unwell because of all the disruptions to daily activity, a carefully guided physical therapy program can help with your recovery.  Physical therapy aims to:

• restore function to the muscles
• reduce the likelihood of mental health conditions that may occur as a result of limited mobility
• enable people to return to their normal lives

Don’t hesitate to contact us at Scerbo PT if you’ve been affected by any of the many problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re here for you at our Edgewater facility – find out how we can help!