Long COVID Clinic

Washington University Physical Therapy provides multidisciplinary care for Long Covid including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology. Symptoms of Long Covid vary between individuals and commonly include fatigue, brain fog, and post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE). Other common symptoms include weakness, numbness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and depression. Our providers offer one-on-one care to address your specific symptoms and functional goals. As new research emerges on Long Covid recovery, our providers stay up to date on treatment approaches. Our physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists collaborate closely with each other as well as with your referring doctor and other medical providers to optimize your care.  

Physical Therapy

Symptoms of Long Covid can significantly vary from person to person. Your physical therapist will work with you one-on-one to come up with an individualized treatment plan to target your specific goals. Your therapist will give you tools to determine how your daily activity, exercise, work, and other psychosocial factors impact your symptoms. Use of step tracking, heart rate monitoring, and activity tracking will help in determining what triggers your symptoms. Together, you will come up with a plan to implement pacing strategies, rest breaks, and activity modifications as needed to limit fatigue and improve strength, endurance, and activity tolerance over time.

Occupational Therapy

Your occupational therapist will address your concerns with cognition, fatigue, stress management, sleep, and community engagement. Occupational therapists are also well suited to address difficulties you may be having at school or work as a result of your symptoms. They will work with you to develop self-management skills and identify necessary activity modifications, with the goal of increasing your confidence for navigating this condition.

Speech Therapy

Your speech therapist will evaluate your concerns with cognition, speech, voice, breath support, and/or swallowing, in order to determine your needs and goals for therapy. They will work with you one-on-one to address your concerns and answer your individual questions. Your therapist will provide compensatory strategies to maximize your independence and confidence, as well as specific exercises to help improve your function over time.

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