What is The Long Covid Treatment Program?

COVID-19 is unlike any other illness we've experienced, it has impacted our nation in ways we could have never imagined and has had widespread effects on people emotionally, physically and cognitively. The term “Long Covid” has not yet been officially defined, but published studies indicate that someone may be classified with "The Long Covid"" if they are experiencing lingering symptoms, 3 to 6+ months after having COVID-19 symptoms.

Some literature states that the Long Covid include two groups of people: those who experience permanent damage to their lungs, heart, kidneys, and/or brain, or those who experience symptoms despite no proven damage to these organs.

Given the emerging needs of Canadians, Pillars of Wellness has developed a Long Covid Treatment Program which is comprehensive in nature and based on current available research. This program is designed for individuals that have had a diagnosis or symptoms of COVID and are experiencing ongoing issues that limit their ability to return to their usual daily activities. This program is not for individual’s who currently have an active case of COVID.

Long Covid Symptoms

This program is designed to treat a wide variety of physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms related to COVID including but not limited to:

Fatigue
Body aches, joint pain
Shortness of breath
Difficulty concentrating
“Brain fog” or confusion
Inability to exercise

Headache
Sleep disruptions
Gastrointestinal issues
Memory issues
Mood changes; feeling anxious or depressed
Feeling ‘disorganized’ or can feel easily overwhelmed

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Rehabilitation Services

All of our rehabilitation services are being offered in-clinic &/or virtually to best service you during these challenging times.

Pillars of Wellness is an integrated care clinic, which means we utilize a combination of teamwork, best practices and joint assessments to make your care as efficient and effective as possible.

The services included in our Long Covid Treatment Program are:

Long Covid Treatment Program

A description of how each of these services can assist people with the Long Covid in their recovery and rehabilitation is provided below.

Physiotherapy

Vestibular rehabilitation / Balance retraining
Cardiovascular Rehab – autonomic dysfunction and heart rate regulation, cardiovascular conditioning
Soft tissue release and stretching techniques- intercostals, diaphragm, upper traps
Deep breathing and lateral costal breathing exercises – strengthening the upper traps

Chiropractic Care

Decrease restrictions in thoracic spine to help promote better breathing.
Cervical mobilization which helps free up the segments that the phrenic nerve stem from therefore diaphragm can function properly.
Help with headaches, decrease musculoskeletal pain and improve proper joint function.

Naturopathy

Reduce inflammation and stress
Focus on sleep regulation and energy enhancement
Integrate digestion and nervous system support through nutrition, supplements, vitamins /minerals
Vit B12 injections

Acupuncture

Focus on chronic inflammation and immune system
Reduce anxiety using specific acupuncture points
Help to calm the nervous system
Focus on sleep enhancement and stress management

Occupational Therapy

Visual exercises to assess balance and peripheral vision.
Support a gradual resumption of daily activities and a return to work if appropriate.
Cognitive health assessment - identify changes with memory, concentration, attention and executive skills.
Occupational Therapy can help identify areas of deficit in daily living that negatively affect overall functioning and provide strategies of how to improve or remediate these changes to improve overall performance.

Social Work

Provide mental health counselling to manage anxiety related to excessive worry and uncertainty regarding COVID-related fears (e.g. stress reduction strategies, relaxation training, and cognitive restructuring regarding worries around re-contracting COVID or passing the virus to loved ones).

Speech Language Pathology

Focus on cognitive communication, word finding and fluency of speech and address functional cognition impacting on day to day life.
Examine breath support in speech as well as swallowing issues in received intubation during COVID.

How Does The Long Covid Program Work?

Pillars of Wellness has designed a 3-month treatment protocol that encompasses a multitude of services to optimize your recovery. The program can be customized to your individual needs, but for best results it is recommended to follow our program which includes:

A Cognitive Health Assessment
3 Month Treatment Protocol including the below services:
Physiotherapy or Chiropractor, 12 sessions
Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy, 10 sessions
Acupuncture, 12 sessions
Counselling, 6 sessions
Naturopathy, 3 sessions
Re-Assessment after 12 weeks with:
Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
Home Activity Program to be prescribed
6 Month Follow Up including:
A Re-assessment of the cognitive functions

Cost and coverage

Whether you are receiving physiotherapy, occupational therapy , counselling support, naturopathy or other types of rehabilitation services, most health insurance providers reimburse all or a portion of the fees.

We can help confirm if your health insurance has the coverage. Your treatment may be partially or fully covered if you have extended health benefits, a worker’s compensation claim, or were injured in a motor vehicle accident.

Please note that for payment, all major credit cards, debit, cash and personal cheques are accepted. In addition, you can also get financial aid from IFinance Medicard.

Questions? Need More Information?

Contact us today! We would be happy to schedule a complimentary consultation to help understand your needs, and to provide you with more information on our programs and services. We can be reached at: 905 637 4000, or info@pillarsofwellness.ca