You’re probably familiar with physical therapy treating numerous sorts of injuries and other conditions related to muscles and bones in our body. What you probably didn’t know is that Dallas physical therapy center is also helpful in reducing covid effects.
This article is going to focus on how physical therapy greatly helps to reduce covid effects, as well as after recovering from the virus.
How Does Physical Therapy Help Reduce Covid Effects?
There have been various complications seen in post covid patients, such as a weak respiratory system, serious conditions that affect the blood vessels, more chances of heart attacks or stroke, muscle or joint pain, fatigue, and even anxiety and depression in extreme cases. However, the good news is that physical therapy after recovering from covid helps to get rid of these symptoms quicker.
Strengthens respiratory system
Physical therapists help patients with even the most minimal mobility, such as making them stand up from seated positions or make them do small and simple exercises. Such exercises make those patients breathe a little harder. Therefore, this breathing greatly enhances and strengthens a patient’s respiratory system. A strong respiratory system is all that one needs to stay safe from covid, or even lessen its complications once contracted.
Helps with breathing issues
Physical therapy does not only help strengthen the respiratory system of an individual but also helps keep the airway clear. It does so by making use of gradual progressing exercises that can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life significantly.
Builds resilience
Physical therapy definitely helps build resilience in individuals. This is because the more someone is physically active, the more resilient they are. Moreover, their body is more protective this way. However, being physically active does not completely rule out Covid or immunity to covid, but the odds of experiencing severe complications because of Covid significantly reduces.
Lowers mortality rates
There have been several researchers who stated that those covid patients who were more physically active and had higher levels of function before contracting the virus have lower mortality rates. Moreover, such patients tend to discharge from the hospital earlier than other patients.
Builds your cardiorespiratory fitness
Covid, which is itself a respiratory viral infection, has a negative impact on an individual’s cardiopulmonary system. Therefore, being physically active and maintaining a cardiorespiratory fitness regime, will guarantee a much greater cardiopulmonary reserve. In simple words, the body will be able to react or respond to respiratory viral infection in a more effective way.
MET level
MET level is a common measurement of how much energy a person’s body is using. Researchers measure this by analyzing how much oxygen a body uses. Therefore, if a person is physically active and fit, and exercises at a much higher capacity, they are able to reach a much higher MET level. With physical therapy, an individual will have an ideal MET level.
Stiffness and pain alleviated
Stiffness and pain are other common lingering effects of Covid. This is because most patients develop stiffness after being immobile for a considerable amount of time. Such common symptoms and effects of Covid can be treated by physical therapists. Physical therapists constantly monitor the patient’s symptoms, and design physical therapy plans to help alleviate stiffness and manage pain.
Reduces complications of isolation
Because patients have been isolated for long enough when they have contracted the coronavirus, they are more at risk of fatigue. Moreover, they might also suffer from a lack of immobility, as it can result in more joint pain and stiffness.
Also, such individuals will also have a difficult time continuing their active lifestyle. Therefore, this is when physical therapy comes in. Physical therapy also helps treat complications of staying in isolation for too long.
Physical therapists make use of various exercises and techniques, such as strengthening exercises and aerobics, which greatly help improve mobility and regain flexibility. This way, you will be back on your feet in no time, and continue your active lifestyle.
Helps reduce anxiety and depression
Numerous people who are in isolation due to the contracted coronavirus are isolated, and can easily fall into anxiety and depression, due to such uncertainty. Therefore, physical therapy greatly helps to treat such mental and emotional impacts of Covid.
Physical therapy greatly reduces anxiety and depression. Moreover, it also helps reduce stress and improves an individual’s quality of sleep as well. Sleep is another common symptom patients suffer from when they have contracted the virus.
Therefore, supportive physical therapists constantly help patients deal with issues that are related to their mental health conditions, which can negatively impact their wellbeing. Moreover, if we talk about their mental health conditions, these can negatively impact their overall health as well. Therefore, in order to recover much quicker, it is imperative to take care of the patient’s mental wellbeing as well.
Helps regain strength
Weakness is one of the major symptoms of Covid. However, physical therapy is one of the leading treatments for muscle weakness. Therefore, physical therapists assess a patient’s muscle weakness, and then design a physical therapy plan according to it.
A physical therapist may use a variety of techniques and exercises, such as strengthening exercises, aerobics, and much more, which will ultimately help strengthen your muscles and help you regain the strength that you once had before contracting the virus.
Therefore, with the right type of physical activity and exercises, you will feel energized, rather than feeling the loss of energy or lack of strength.
Helps with irregular heartbeats
Another common symptom and long-lasting effect of the Coronavirus is irregular heartbeats. These may become troublesome in the future when individuals are more at risk for heart diseases and other complications. However, with the right type of exercise and physical movements by your physical therapist, your heart will become stronger. Moreover, there will be more regular heartbeats. Because your heart will be pumping more blood with each beat, it will not pump irregularly anymore.
Thus, physical therapists work in order to calculate an individual’s target heart rate. They keep monitoring their heart rate to make sure that their patient is exercising and working out within their tolerance.
Reduces risk of heart diseases in the future
With covid, comes many more complications. Covid is highly unpredictable, and there is more research arising to date. One stated fact is that individuals, especially seniors, who have recovered from Covid, are more at risk of heart diseases in the future.
This is when physical therapy comes in. A physical therapist will help devise a therapy plan, which will include various exercises and physical activity, which will help greatly reduce the signs and symptoms of heart disease and/or failure that may likely occur in the future.
As discussed above, your heart will become much stronger with physical therapy, so will the muscles surrounding your heart.
It has been stated by the American Heart Association that exercising or even the most simple physical activity of only 30 minutes each day for a week, greatly reduces the chance of heart diseases. Therefore, a strong heart and a strong respiratory system are all you need to stay clear of more Covid complications.
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