Hatt Health and Movement Clinic

Have you had COVID and still don’t feel quite right?

Having overcome the virus, you might find that you’re still suffering from:

• Feelings of fatigue and weakness
• Balance related issues
• Respiratory conditions such as a chronic cough or shortness of breath
• Continual headaches

These are just some of the long term side effects of COVID which are varied and can be complex. We recommend you address these issues sooner rather than later to help you get back to your normal self.

What is long COVID?

It has been determined by the NICE guidelines, that somebody who has suffered from COVID and has developed symptoms that have lasted longer than, or started after 12 weeks has long COVID.

What are the most common symptoms?

• Fatigue or extreme tiredness
• Chest pain
• Heart palpitations

• Issues with lung function
• Breathlessness
• Tingling & numbness

• Multiple joint aches and pains
• Poor memory, brain fog and headaches
• Dizziness or balance issues

Why does long COVID occur?

The research as of yet is inconclusive on exactly how COVID impacts your body. However, as a virus, we know that it impacts your brain function, lung function, immune system, and metabolism.

This means that it could cause abnormal clotting, scarring, or damage to certain tissues including organs like the lung or heart.

It could also increase your natural immune response making it overactive. This can cause long term health conditions that are not directly related to COVID.

Why should you get help instead of waiting for symptoms to subside?

The NICE guidelines state that if you have any issues with your heart or lungs after catching COVID, you should seek a medical assessment and advice to make sure that there isn’t something going on in your body that could negatively impact your life long term.

Additionally, it’s difficult to know how long your symptoms might last, as it could be between 6 to 8 months according to the research.

How can we help at Hatts?

We’ve already treated quite a few long COVID patients and helped them manage their journey through rehabilitation. Some of these patients didn’t even know that their symptoms were directly linked to their COVID diagnosis.

At Hatts, we have created an in-depth Physiotherapy assessment to identify your different signs and symptoms and create a plan to manage them moving forward. This might include manual Physiotherapy treatment, Massage, and in particular, a specialised rehabilitation programme to work on your lung function, heart function, dizziness, balance and fatigue symptoms.

What can you do at home to help?

The first step is to work out which symptoms you are experiencing, how long you’ve had them, and how severe they are.

If you have any heart or lung related issues, you should speak to a specialist. If you’re having difficulty breathing, taking deep breaths will help to relieve symptoms. Take a look at the NHS website or speak to us at Hatts about how you can do deep breathing exercises.

If you have any aerobic limitations, for example, if your struggling to walk to the shops, then always remember to pace yourself. If you’ve got any aches and pains, look to apply heat or ice, and speak to a loved one to help massage any areas that hurt as this will really help to relieve your symptoms.

Meet your Physio & Rehab team

Jill

Matt

Tom

Niamh

Craig

Dan

Danny