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Long Covid

“Post Covid-19 Condition”, also known as “Long Covid” in common parlance, describes the long-term consequences of a Covid-19 disease. The most common symptom is fatigue, an agonizing form of tiredness and exhaustion. Other complaints include brain fog1 (difficulty concentrating), a generally limited resilience, shortness of breath, headaches, muscle and body aches, or prolonged loss of taste and smell. Neurological and psychological complaints also occur, such as sensitivity or sleep disorders, anxiety and depression or even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

A practical example

Marianne (43) suffers from long-term consequences of her Covid-19 infection. The acute symptoms such as a persistent cough, recurring colds, fluctuating temperature perception and profuse sweating went away on their own. What remained was the leaden tiredness (fatigue). Everything costs her a lot of energy, whether it’s thinking, shopping or interacting with other people. In the morning she has energy for daily tasks, followed by a nap in the afternoon. In the afternoon she has little energy left. In the evening she feels drained. Despite this, she is very restless inside, so that she can hardly fall asleep. The exhaustion leads to pain all over the body, or to an increased perception of pain. She finds the cognitive limitations bad, and the lack of resilience gives her mental problems. She finds it difficult to remember complex content and tires quickly.

Long Covid from a Shiatsu Therapy Perspective

Basically, Long Covid is about exhaustion, about emptiness. The strengthening of the Yin and the basic energy is in the foreground. Self-regulation is out of balance and weakened. This is due to an autoimmune reaction or because the virus is still active in the body. This leads to a low resilience. The complaints affect the body, mind and soul equally and have social repercussions. These can be existential fears, a lack of emotional balance or the trauma of the illness. The fears can also relate to the fact that the complaints are not taken seriously by those around them. Body awareness is strengthened to strengthen recovery skills. Exercises you can do at home can help, such as meridian stretching exercises, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. However, clients should not overtax themselves. The experiences of the clients from the treatment or their everyday life are recorded in the accompanying discussion. Shiatsu activates the parasympathetic, the calming part of the nervous system. This lowers blood pressure and heart rate, leads to deeper and freer breathing, and reduces muscle tension. This releases energies and allows them to flow. The racing heart and the tightness in the chest can be alleviated, more space is created. The chest can open, those affected can breathe more freely. Complaints such as headaches and brain fog subside, the mind becomes clear and light. Limbs are gently held and moved. In this way, the fascia, joints and muscles move again and become more supple. The emphasis is on gentleness. The aim is not to overwhelm the system with impulses.

Find peace with Shiatsu

Marianne now goes to Shiatsu once a week. There she appreciates the accompanying element. The therapist’s open, patient, non-demanding attitude is good for her and gives her a feeling of acceptance. The gentle touches relax you. The slow movements—the stretches, the rotations, the mindful pressure—lead to better body awareness. The way she is moved by Shiatsu makes her feel more alive. When the therapist works on the chest, she gets a feeling of spaciousness, of opening. In the conversation, the therapist reflects on the progress that has been made. That helps a lot, because Marianne doesn’t really notice them herself. The emotional and psychological aspects of recovery are well addressed through bodywork. Sometimes it is easier to access these topics in body therapy than in a doctor’s talk. So her Shiatsu offers a suitable supplement to conventional medical treatment in the Long Covid consultation hours in the hospital