Physio support

A team of physios with NHS Lanarkshire are helping residents to manage long Covid symptoms.

Recovery from Covid can take many weeks – even months – until people start to feel themselves again.

And long Covid symptoms range from fatigue and fever to anxiety and muscle pains, to more unusual things like heart palpitations, skin problems and even hallucinations.

NHS Lanarkshire’s team of physios are working with a number of long Covid patients who are experiencing breathlessness – and teaching them breathing techniques.

Carolyn Bell, physiotherapy lead at Monklands Hospital, said: “We work with people to identify how their breathing pattern may have changed due to Covid – and teach them how to correct it.

“In trying to return breathing to a more normal pattern, one technique we use involves ‘letting go’ of their neck and shoulders and breathing into and out, though their nose. As they let go, they’ll notice their tummy gently rising and falling as they breathe in, and out.”