A long COVID patient and their experience of osteopathic care: A case report

ABSTRACT

Background Long COVID is an emerging syndrome that is poorly understood in terms of aetiology, symptom picture, treatment and prognosis. Objectives This case report contributes a twelve-month history of a female patient's experience of Long COVID and her motivation for, experience of and response to osteopathic care. The decision to write a case report was made retrospectively, with some attempt made at symptom quantification but with no numeric data on outcomes. Clinical features The patient's mental symptoms included brain fog and loss of agency, while physical symptoms included chest heaviness, fatigue and breathing difficulty. During the study year the patient suffered bereavements and dental health issues in addition to Long COVID. Intervention and outcomes The osteopath found that dysautonomia, dysfunction of the thoracic diaphragm and endothelial activation underlay the symptom picture. Osteopathic care included OMT, support and reassurance, leading to a greater sense of wellbeing and reduction in symptoms. Conclusions The possible role of immune hyperactivity in the aetiology of Long COVID is discussed. The role of the osteopath as ‘health coach’ as well as hands on therapist is reviewed. Further research is required to determine the benefits of osteopathic care in this population. Informed consent was obtained from the patient for this report to be published (form supplied to the publisher). They have read the report and contributed the section headed Patient Perspective.