Physical Rehabilitation Plays Key Role in COVID-19 Recovery

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network experts recently detailed how in-person and telehealth physical rehabilitation can help people recover from the devastating physical impacts of COVID-19.

Their insight appeared in the fall/winter 2020 issue of Lehigh County Health & Medicine magazine:

“Ultimately, because of the damage it can do to the lungs and heart, COVID-19 can make it harder for people to walk, breathe normally or complete everyday tasks, whether they were hospitalized or not,” said Susan Golden, PT, NCS, administrative director of Neurorehabilitation at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network. “These quality of life improvements can be achieved through a number of approaches, including endurance training and helping patients understand how to conserve their energy.”

Also in the article, Kelley Limbauan, PT, DPT, NCS, a physical therapist who specializes in treating COVID-recovering patients at the Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center, offered insight into the impact of training patients to breathe through a variety of techniques.

“Some patients need help with pacing their breathing, while others can benefit from using a pursed-lip breathing technique as they recover. Body posture and relaxation also can offer relief,” Limbauan said.

Good Shepherd offers a specially designed physical rehabilitation program for people recovering from COVID-19. The program focuses on:

• Gaining strength
• Improving balance
• Reducing pain, numbness or tingling
• Improving breathing and/or swallowing
• Optimizing cognitive function

To read the full article (“Physical rehabilitation plays key role in COVID-19 recovery”), click here. Lehigh County Health & Medicine magazine is the official publication of the Lehigh County Medical Society.