Impact of physical therapy on functional outcomes in post-COVID-19 patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17267/2238-2704rpf.2025.e6078Keywords:
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Rehabilitation, Functional Status, Quasi-Experimental Study, AdultAbstract
BACKGROUND: After coronavirus disease (COVID-19), nearly 65% of patients recovered previous health condition within 14-21 days after onset of symptoms. However, 10% persisted with symptoms and functional impairment for more than 12 weeks. METHODS: Between March 2021 and May 2022, we identified the effect of physical therapy in 26 symptomatic post-COVID-19 patients aged ≥18 years enrolled in a quasi-experimental study, with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 undergoing treatment for motor and respiratory symptoms in the post-COVID-19 multidisciplinary service at Fundação José Silveira (José Silveira Foundation) in Bahia, Brazil. General reported complaints, data of vital signs and functional tests (Timed-Up-and-Go, sit-to-stand and 2-min step-in-place tests) were collected before and after 10 physical therapy sessions. We evaluated physical parameters such as: cough, dyspnea, fatigue, sleep disorders, intercostal and supraclavicular retractions, maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, pulmonary auscultation, peak expiratory flow, peak cough, apnea test, thoracic mobility and expansibility. RESULTS: After 10 physical therapy sessions, a significant improvement was observed in global muscle strength (p<0.001), handgrip strength (p=0.004), Timed-Up-and-Go test (p=0.002), sit-to-stand test (p=0.006), 2-min step-in-place test (p=0.006), fatigue scale (p=0.025) and apnea test (p=0.001). In addition, reported complaints of dry cough (p=0.008), dyspnea on exertion (p=0.002) and fatigue (p=0.006) were reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Post-COVID-19 patients evaluated after 10 sessions of respiratory and motor physical therapy significantly decreased symptoms and recovered functional parameters, supporting the implementation of structured rehabilitation programs in similar healthcare settings to optimize functional gains, quality of life and work capacity after infections or hospitalizations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Francisca Ferreira Stagliorio, Juliana Awad de Oliveira Menezes, Taísa Nascimento de Aquino, Manuella Franco Cerqueira da Silva, Felipe de Jesus Souza, Jesús Enrique Patiño-Escarcina, Maria Belen Arriaga, Eduardo Martins Netto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
