Six months after COVID-19 hit the US, a massive number of people were entering into a long-term phase of recovery. They found out that the virus took a huge toll on just the respiratory systems. 

Approximately 80% of patients infected by COVID-19 also have mild to moderate signs and recover in a few weeks. But the other 20% had more serious signs, including severe inflammation and organ damage. Lying being sick in bed at home or in a hospital for long periods may lead to muscle atrophy, weakening due to limited use.

Healthier people may lose around 1% to 1.5% of muscle strength every day in bedrest. Those people that are sick might lose a lot more. An average hospital stays, to recover from COVID-19 is 8 days. Over a week, a patient may lose 12% of muscle strength. 

For most people, recovery has been in the steepest physical and mental issues they endured. Patients also reported substantial functional defects such as muscle weakness, lingering lung issues, and cognitive concerns that range from delirium to brain fog. 

Navigating complex issues need a team approach. 

Physical therapy to help with muscle weakness:

Most viruses cause a nonspecific body pain known as myalgia. Think back to having severe flu or cold; the chances are that each part of your body also felt achy, even hair and teeth. COVID-19 gave us data that shows nearly 45% of patients go through muscle pain in their illness. 

COVID-19 research also suggests that the pain and weakness may be linked to muscle damage from an illness. A process is known as rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue, which might be a side effect of this virus. In this breakdown, enzymes that include creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase enter your bloodstream. These enzymes have been detected in the COVID-19 patient blood work. 

The main muscles and proximal leg muscles, such as the glutarals, also go into atrophy quickly. These muscles help you stand, walk, and sit down with a strong posture and improve breathing efficiently. A proper posture creates a lot more room for your diaphragm to move.

Your diaphragm is one of the major muscles that help your lungs expand and contract. The recovered patients of COVID-19 all say that they experienced muscle weakness and fatigue. 

How may PM&R help?

There isn’t any way to predict which of the patients will get muscle signs, and the virus completely affects everybody differently. Some marathoners have struggled in walking as a recovered COVID-19 patient and lesser active patients that were moving all fine aside from the increased joint pain. 

Physical therapy is an ideal way to help you with muscle weakness as it will gradually build your strength again. You will observe your body entering the recovery phase soon. You can get the best at-home physical therapy to help with muscle weakness by RVHHH.com as a hospice at-home treatment.

Elder people won’t have to go anywhere to get this treatment, and there will be a lot of assistance provided by the professionals and the nursing staff who would contact you at home.