Ergotherapy/occupational therapy

Ergotherapy in Long Covid treatment

Ergotherapy (or occupational therapy) in Long Covid rehabilitation is intended to restore or maintain the ability to function in daily life and at work. The aim is to improve participation, quality of life and satisfaction as well as functional health. Ergotherapy takes place individually or in a group.

Early rehabilitation is often about restoring mobility and independence in activities of daily living (ADL), such as personal hygiene or dressing and undressing. The goals of action in " traditional rehabilitation" usually shift from the area of self-sufficiency to that of productivity. It is then a matter, for example, of coping with managing a household and shopping, as well as reintegration into the world of work. Priority is also given to the areas of leisure and social life.

The most important basic goals of ergotherapy in Long Covid rehabilitation are:

• Improvement of endurance and resilience when engaging in physical activity
• Reduction of pain, improvement in the active range of movement in shoulders and use of arms and hands in everyday life
• Improvement in cognitive performance (brain performance training)
• Realistic assessment of the patient's own ability to perform in everyday life and at work
• Restoration of confidence in one' s own ability to perform, restoration of a stable mood and enjoyment of activities
• An increasingly independent integration of knowledge about one's own illness and health-promoting behaviour in everyday life