Covid 19

By Sam Kankanamge, Osteopath & Founder of Wimpole Street’s Sen Wellness Clinic. Over the last 12 months, I have successfully treated some 55 patients, aged between 20 and 70, who were suffering from the symptoms of Long-COVID. In order to treat each patient to the best of my ability, I have consistently kept an eye on the latest medical research and news. Whilst there’s now a picture of Long-COVID symptoms, doctors seem to be advocating a combination of symptom management with a focus on boosting the immune system long-term. I have not been able to discover any evidence-based treatments. The reason for writing this article is to share what I’ve learnt from treating a wide variety of patients. I want to get the message out that it is possible to treat the most common Long-COVID symptoms of debilitating fatigue and brain fog. In the UK only a tiny percentage of people who contract COVID need hospital treatment. Most battle the illness at home and it was only in November last year that the NHS announced 40 new clinics opening to study Long-COVID. Official data suggests that a fifth of people with coronavirus still have symptoms five weeks after becoming infected, with one in ten symptomatic for twelve weeks.  A recent study carried out in Wuhan found that three in four people hospitalised with COVID-19 still had symptoms six months after being discharged. It is troubling to reflect that most of these people have no access to medical advice or treatment and living with their symptoms is likely to aggravate their stress levels with a knock-on impact on their mental health. Whilst I lead a holistic healthcare centre, my primary training as an osteopath means that I tend to analyse patients from an osteopathic perspective first.  Many people think osteopathy is just structural, solely treating musculoskeletal issues, but in fact goes beyond this to help regulate and optimise health on a multisystemic level treating the nervous, lymphatic, endocrines (hormonal), and immune systems. This multisystemic approach is where Western medicine falls short. In treating my Long-COVID patients it’s clear they’re not suffering from an isolated issue. Multiple systems, (including multiorgan system, endocrine, lymphatic, nervous and musculoskeletal) have been fatigued and exhausted by the virus.  In response, a holistic and integrative approach has significantly, and at times after a single treatment, aided the recovery of my patients. CASE STUDY: Charlotte, 38, contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 and was initially ill for three weeks with fever and breathlessness. After almost completely recovering, further waves of fever followed. Despite the hot weather over the summer months, and usually resilient to the cold, she spent several weeks indoors wrapped up in layers of clothing. Next came the spiralling infections over an eight to 10 week period. Symptoms included sinus and throat infections, which appeared to be localised and were unsuccessfully treated with antibiotics. Three months on from when she first became ill, she suffered from bad headaches and fatigue and sought treatment. After four osteopathy and cranial osteopathy treatments, her health has almost returned to the same as before she caught the virus. “What was most striking to me was how this was not like normal flu where you would expect to bounce back. I had a severely weakened immune system, resulting in multiple secondary infections, as well as several post-viral symptoms.  I needed an additional intervention and one that treated all the body’s systems. I doubt I would have made a full recovery without these treatments.” The most widespread symptom among Long-COVID sufferers is muscle fatigue and weak muscle tone underlying the common thread of debilitating fatigue.  This is also common with post-viral chronic fatigue where, before recovery, there’s a chemical process that results in mild inflammation within the musculoskeletal and multiorgan system. I have consistently detected inflammation of the muscles and connective tissue in my Long-COVID patients. Those who have previously led very physical and active lifestyles find even gentle stretching stressful.  With the musculoskeletal system unable to support the body’s frame, patients experience a general sense of restriction and fatigue.  Many find it difficult to carry out even basic everyday tasks and functions. CASE STUDY: Clare, 56, spent two weeks bedridden with the virus in April 2020, with a fever, breathlessness, and extreme fatigue. She had rashes on her fingers and toes, and her sense of taste and smell were also altered. Further knocks to her health came in four waves over the next month, including debilitating tiredness and hot flushes. After this, she was able to resume some of her usual daily tasks. However, she began to suffer from aches and pains, particularly in her hips and coccyx. A course of treatments has been focused on addressing the muscle fatigue and weak muscle tone endemic to Long-Covid and chronic fatigue syndrome with osteopathic techniques and acupuncture. “In the past, I’ve been highly responsive to treatment at the Clinic for aches and pains. What has struck me, in this case, is how much the virus has exacerbated these underlying issues. The long-tail impact of the virus has really weakened my muscles. Each time I have a treatment, I make progress and get stronger. Now that I’m almost back to full health, I’m increasing my yoga practice and returning to gardening, and I’m hopeful that soon I’ll l be able to resume these activities to the same level as before.” My cranial osteopathic training enables me to work beyond the musculoskeletal system to analyse the movement and alignment of the central nervous, glandular, lymphatic and multiorgan system.  Long-COVID patients often present with a congested lymphatic system, which is unsurprising as this is one of the most active defensive mechanisms under viral attack.  Patients I have treated consistently present with exhausted lymphatic systems, especially in the major lymph glands. In healthy central nervous systems the spinal fluid has a natural coiling and uncoiling motion, similar to the pulse of the cardiovascular system.   In Long-COVID patients, the fluid feels static and congested, as does their connective