The focus for this year’s World PT Day on 8 September is rehabilitation and Long COVID, and the role of physiotherapists in the treatment and management of people affected by Long COVID.
Long COVID is:
- common – 1 in 10 people living with Long COVID will exhibit symptoms for a period of 12 weeks or longer
- a multi-system disease – there are over 200 listed symptoms which occur in variable combinations and can fluctuate in both predictable and unpredictable patterns
- the presence of signs and symptoms that develop during or following an infection consistent with COVID-19, which continue for 12 weeks or more.
Emma Stokes, World Physiotherapy president, said: “The most common symptoms of Long COVID, after six months, include extreme exhaustion, post-exertional symptom exacerbation, and problems with memory and concentration.
“A physiotherapist can help people living with Long COVID as part of a rehabilitation programme and make sure exercise prescription is approached with care to minimise risk and to ensure exercise programmes are restorative and do not make an individual’s symptoms worse.
“Long COVID is different for everyone. A physiotherapist can help people manage their symptoms and work with them to support their recovery.”
World PT Day toolkit
The World PT Day toolkit includes a range of materials to share the campaign in your country/territory. Please note: the materials may not be amended without the permission of World Physiotherapy.
The information sheets and posters will be available shortly in French and Spanish. We have also had offers from volunteers to translate the materials into more than 50 languages, these will be added to the World Physiotherapy website as and when they become available.
