World of rehabilitation in covid era..!!!

What Is Rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation is the process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury restore lost skills and so regain maximum self-sufficiency. The illness and injury mentioned above include several complications like - paralysis ( hemiplegia, paraplegia), stroke, fracture, muscle and tendon tear, neurological disorders, etc.

Rehabilitative exercise and proper training protocols including - mobilization, stabilisation, electronic modalities and exercises. Doctors of physical therapy play a major role in rehabilitative services through a proper training regime.

Types of rehabilitation

There are three types of rehabilitation therapy that are commonly used:

1. Occupational(performed by an occupational therapist)
2. Physical (performed by a physical therapist)
3. Speech (speech therapist)

• Each form of rehabilitation serves a unique purpose in helping a person reach full recovery, but all share the ultimate goal of helping the patient return to a healthy and active lifestyle.

Stages of rehabilitation

The 4 Stages of Complete Rehabilitation:

1. Rest and Protect the Injury.
2. Recover Your Motion.
3. Recover Your Strength.
4. Recover Your Function.
5. The Right Treatment for You

● Aim of rehabilitation

The main focus of rehabilitation is on:

1. Achieving as full a physical and psychological recovery as possible.
2. Improving the quality of life through gaining life management skills, a sense of direction for the future and resilience.

Rehabilitation in physical therapy

• Orthopaedic Rehabilitation
• Neurological Rehabilitation
• Gynaecological Rehabilitation
• Pediatric Rehabilitation 
• Geriatric Rehabilitation

To conclude, after every drug therapy or surgery "Rehabilitation" plays a major role in regaining muscle strength and lost skills.

Post covid effects on lungs :               

1. ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome)

          The patient suffers from severe breathing difficulties mainly while exhalation. In this condition, the alveolar sac of our lung gets filled with fluid or pus. 

     ARDS usually occurs from sepsis (septicemia) which is a bloodstream infection mainly caused by bacterial growth, severe sepsis can be fatal, ICU requirements are necessary for proper oxygenation and vitals to note. 

2. Pneumonia

       Inflammation of alveolar sac filled with fluid or puss which blocks the lung surface for gaseous exchange.

    Therefore pulmonary rehabilitation plays a major role in patients suffering from covid-19.

Drugs are given for covid - lopinavir/ritonavir, chloroquine phosphate, hydroxychloroquine,  although these medicines have severe side effects too with not so effective cure.

 

Patients usually suffer from Dyspnea, fatigue, weakness

Pulmonary rehabilitation primarily includes -

1. Multidisciplinary input
2. Exercise therapy
3. Dietary advice
4. Disease education, psychological development

Treatment includes :

 1. Oxygen therapy 

Where the lung is incapable to extract oxygen from the atmosphere then artificially oxygen is provided for their survival and to carry out cellular metabolism. Long stretch of oxygen supply (12-24) hrs may be helpful for chronic conditions.

2. Chest physiotherapy 

It includes postural drainage in conditions like ( cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, COPD). suctioning ( small plastic tubes are inserted into the air passage for pulling out sputum for patients who are unable to do so)

Breathing exercises.

Physical therapy plays a major role in recovering covid patients from post side effects on their lungs which affects their daily life. Increased awareness of this field can help our society and the entire world defeating this global pandemic.