Writen by Daskalopoulos Eustathios,
Physiotherapist, Scientific Associate of ANASSA Clinic
Covid-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been detected before the recent outbreak in the Wuhan region of China in December 2019.
If a person becomes infected with the virus, they can experience symptoms that vary from mild, like those of the common cold, to very severe. As with other respiratory infections, mild symptoms include a runny nose, sore throat, fever and cough.
Some people, however, may experience severe symptoms, such as pneumonia and difficulty breathing. In these severe manifestations of the virus, physical therapy can effectively intervene as an additional “medicine” to revitalize the lungs.
So respiratory physical therapy becomes extremely important for patients with Covid-19. It is considered important for the patient at rest to be trained by the physiotherapist in order to better deal with the disease and to apply his instructions alongside the medication he is already receiving.
The role of the physical therapist includes treatment with goals:
- The mobilization and assistance of the expectoration of secretions (sputum)
- Maintaining and improving respiratory muscle strength
- The control and reduction of shortness of breath and the work of breathing, through relief positions and relaxation techniques
- Better breath control, such as with conscious relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing
- Improving operational capabilities (such as conducting daily activities) and quality of life
- Support during weaning from mechanical ventilation and management of non-invasive mechanical ventilation</li >
- The education to improve the knowledge of the normal functioning of the respiratory system and the understanding of the disease and its symptoms</ span>
Principles of respiratory physical therapy in patients with Covid-19:
For the best and methodical treatment of the disease, the collaboration of the physical therapist with the attending physician is considered vital in order to correctly assess the patient’s condition and to choose appropriate techniques to apply the physical therapist. Usually the techniques are combined with each other in order to achieve the desired therapeutic effect, taking into account that the patient’s problem can be complex.
It is very important to teach the patient about important techniques such as correct body position, avoiding fatigue or adopting a correct breathing model. All techniques performed during respiratory physical therapy have indications and contraindications.
The main indications are:
- retention of secretions
- disorder of respirable volumes and arterial blood gases
- the impairment of cardiorespiratory function, endurance and respiratory muscle strength
- pathological breathing patterns
The contraindications and precautions< /b> are mainly related to pathological conditions of the patient, the main ones are:
- osteoporosis and fractures
- abnormalities in vital signs
- conditions such as pregnancy, pulmonary edema, cancer, hemoptysis, chemotherapy and radiation
The evolution of medicine regarding the care of the respiratory system also affects the physical therapy rehabilitation program, making continuous training and research control necessary for the performance of the techniques to be excellent.< /span>
Finally, it should be emphasized how important physical therapy is in the prevention stage, for people who belong to vulnerable groups and especially for those who face cardiorespiratory problems as it achieves an improvement in lung function and an increase strength of the respiratory muscles in order to reduce the risk in the event of an attack by Covid-19.