Brought to you by Pain Toolkit author, Pete Moore & Physiotherapist Katie Knapton. Watch the intro video here.

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Self-management tools for people living with long COVID-19

Symptoms should get better over time, some may take longer than others, but there are things you can do to help

This toolkit is funded by donations - any contributions are appreciated.

So, what is Long Covid?

So, what is Long Covid?

Before February 2020 no one had ever heard of Covid-19, let alone the term ‘Long Covid’ and even now, both healthcare professionals and people with long covid are still learning about the affects it has.

Some people are reporting lingering symptoms after overcoming their initial bout with Covid and struggling to get to grips with a rehab programme.

Long Covid refers to a condition where a person doesn’t feel fully recovered from their illness, anything from 4 weeks or months later, after the infection has resolved. Initial reports indicate that one of the outcomes of even milder Covid-19 infections can include fatigue, persistent pain, including:

  • Painful joints or muscles
  • Fatigue
  • Memory and concentration problems - brain fog
  • Breathlessness
  • Chest pain

Plus a whole range of other symptoms. This is not always related to the severity of your infection and symptoms can often be fluctuating. This Toolkit will not be going into any specific symptoms but simple self-management tools, which work for a long-term health condition and can help you get yourself back in the driving seat.

Katie Knapton

Physiotherapist Katie Knapton has helped adapt and co-wrote the Covid Self-Management Toolkit. She has a special interest in the management of long-term chronic illnesses and is dedicated to promoting the supported self-management message.

What self-management isn’t

What self-management isn’t

Self-management is NOT about cutting you loose to figure stuff out by yourself. Self-management is about working in partnership with your healthcare team, family, friends and work colleagues.

I have had long term health conditions most of my life. I’m 67 as I write this and over the years, in one way or another I have had to adapt and manage them. The long-term health condition I got stuck on was pain and I lost 7yrs of my life to it. I needed some extra help and in 1996 I got myself on a pain management programme in London, call INPUT. The programme gave me the life-long skills, tools and most importantly the confidence to get back on track. Since 1997, I’ve not had to take any pain medication.

The Toolkit isn’t supposed to be the last word in self-management, but just to get you started. Self-management is all about taking action.

Is self-managing a long-term health condition easy? Well it’s like most things, you have to work at it. I’m not an academic guy, but if I can do it, then I know others can as well.

Important

If you are noticing any worsening symptoms especially in terms of chest pain and shortness of breath it is vital that you are medically assessed. If you have been medically cleared, then it is still appropriate to have support and to monitor symptoms.

Who is Katie Knapton?

Who is Katie Knapton?

Katie is a chartered physiotherapist with nearly 30 years of musculoskeletal experience within the NHS and latterly in her own private practice in West Sussex.

Based in London, trained at Kings College followed by 2 years at Guys Hospital after which Katie specialised at St. Georges Hospital Tooting for 9 years working alongside Orthopaedic Consultants, running a team of physiotherapists in the busy hospital clinic setting.

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