What Do We Know? Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
David Putrino is the Director of Rehabilitation Innovations and Jenna Tosto Mancuso is a physical therapist both at the Abilities Research Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Josh Duntz is the CEO and founder of a breathwork company called Stasis. Dayna McCarthy is a physician in the department of rehabilitation at Mount Sinai Hospital.
David discusses the management of COVID in three phases:
1. Prehab – get patients to feel control over their symptoms (i.e. breathwork)
2. Medical – investigating red flags which may prevent a patient advancing with treatment
3. Physical Therapy – a reconditioning program
Josh uses breathwork to teach functional breathing and having control over one’s breath. He uses this treatment to help COVID patients become comfortable to perform physical activity.
Josh uses the three pillars to explain breathwork:
1. Mechanics of breathing
2. Tidal volume – measuring normal breathing
3. Respiration rate
Dayna explains her role in phase 2 of management – checking if there is anything significant that needs to be ruled out or taken care of from a medical standpoint.
Jenna emphasizes that when patients reach phase 3, these patients are highly sensitive with quick symptom exacerbation. PT’s need to go against their instincts for pushing patients and educate patients to not push themselves.
Check out Jenna’s previous episode with us presenting her COVID-19 Long-Hauler Inservice.
PARTING SHOT
36:28 “Listen to your patients. Work with a broad variety of professionals. If you don’t know the answer to something, reach out to us.” – DAVID
36:45 “It is national PT month so Choose PT. As a PT, this is an opportunity for all of us to help our patients. Take that opportunity.” – JENNA
36:59 “You breathe more than you do anything else in life. I think everyone can get something out of breathwork.” – JOSH
37:18 “As a physician, I am really keen on interdisciplinary approaches. You guys are so important to this cause so reach out to any other providers that you have and work together to try and help out this patient population.” – DAYNA
