Musculoskeletal after-effects of COVID-19

Treating the musculoskeletal after-effects of COVID-19

It is now well known that while most patients who become infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or suffer from mild symptoms, some develop severe symptoms that can permanently detract from their quality of life. And musculoskeletal sequelae can be particularly limiting, so it is important to know how and why to treat them.

The virus infects the respiratory system and there are direct and indirect effects of such infection on multiple areas of the body, including the musculoskeletal system. The most recent studies have identified myalgia, muscle dysfunction, osteoporosis and osteonecrosis as common after-effects in patients with moderate and severe forms of COVID-19.

As Dr. Vicente Mera, head of Internal Medicine and head of the Post-COVID Programme at SHA Wellness Clinic, states, “the after-effects in the most severe cases depend on the number of days of stay in the ICU but can range from simple muscular atrophy (due to lack of use of the muscles) to severe sequelae and deformities in the most difficult cases”.

Reduced quality of life

Patients need to recover their functional capacity as soon as possible. However, it is important to remember that each sequela should not be treated in isolation, but rather all treatments should respond to a holistic therapy, which is why SHA Wellness Clinic has implemented a Post-COVID Health Programme to treat the after-effects of the virus in patients.

To improve persistent symptoms at the musculoskeletal level, it is important that the physiotherapist follows up and proposes a physical rehabilitation programme for these patients, with varying durations.

The value of physiotherapy in Post-COVID treatment

“Physiotherapy is one of the techniques with the greatest impact on alleviating the after-effects of post-COVID-19 syndrome. The application of each will depend on the type of injury and the time of the injury”, stresses Dr Vicente Mera.

Within the therapeutic techniques to treat post-COVID osteomuscular sequelae, SHA Wellness Clinic offers a range of treatments including electrotherapy, thermotherapy, superficial application methods (paraffin bath, infrared lamp, etc.), deep application methods (ultrasound, short wave, cryotherapy, etc.), hydrotherapy, magnetotherapy and mesotherapy.

Each treatment is applied on the basis of a previous in-depth and personalised patient evaluation to detect what their symptoms and real objectives are.

Human Tecar as a revolutionary therapy

The special Human Tecar treatment has revolutionised the world of physiotherapy and is now also a therapy indicated for the treatment of post-COVID sequelae.

“It uses electromagnetic microcirculation stimulators that activate the metabolism of biological tissue, stimulating blood flow and lymphatic circulation. It maximises the body’s ability to recover, maintain or restore its balance and increases performance”, says Dr Vicente Mera.

The Human Tecar methodology, with its new second-generation physiotherapy approach, is already a benchmark in the world of elite sport. “However, patients with sequelae due to COVID-19 can also benefit greatly from it”, the SHA Wellness Clinic specialist explains.

It is particularly suitable for preventing and treating musculoskeletal pain, although it can also treat lymphoedema and cellulite, as well as localised adiposity, stress, sleep and energy. Specifically, it can be used to prevent falls by significantly improving the sense of balance and stability, impaired as a result of COVID-19.