Physios for ME present “when exercise isn’t indicated but rehab is”

On Saturday 21 November 2020 we were invited to deliver a presentation as part of a free online cardio-respiratory Covid19 Update session. The session aimed to cover practical advice on how to run Cardiac, Pulmonary and Respiratory Rehabilitation during Covid19 times, so we were keen to get involved to deliver our messaging based on our understanding of appropriate management of Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome and ME.

Our session was titled “when exercise isn’t indicated but rehab is” and covered central and peripheral causes of fatigue, post exertional malaise, identifying post viral fatigue syndrome, how to support patients in pacing to manage their symptoms and why structured exercise programmes are not appropriate for these patients. We signposted lots of research and fatigue management guides, as well as directed people to some of our own resources.

The session included questions from physiotherapists at the end and we were really impressed with how our colleagues were engaging with the information and thinking about how it would impact on their clinical practice.

Over 800 Allied Health Professionals registered on the day to watch the presentation, which was streamed live on Youtube, with the whole thing recorded and available to watch at any time – our section has had over 2,000 views so far!

We’re really pleased to have been able to reach this group of health professionals, allowing us to raise awareness about the potential for post viral fatigue syndrome and why a typical exercise-based approach is not appropriate, and at the same time including our key messages about ME.

We received some great feedback, for example:

“Really engaging talk delivered by Physios for ME looking at the comparisons between Long Covid symptoms and that of ME, highlighting a vital area of focus for further research and guidance on when exercise isn’t indicated but rehab is”

“Fabulous talk – real experts in this area”

The presentation is available to watch online and the slide deck can be downloaded on the Management section of our new updated Covid pages

We’d like to thank Rachael Moses, Consultant Physiotherapist and Chair of Respiratory Leaders in Physiotherapy, who chaired the session and invited us to take part.