Rehabilitation approaches for patients with post-COVID syndrome
https://doi.org/10.17749/2949-5873/rehabil.2026.63
Abstract
Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is a multisystem condition that develops after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. More than 200 variants of PCS symptoms affect virtually all organ systems and persist for over three months. PCS prevalence among individuals who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from 3% to 12%. This review aims to systematize current approaches to PCS rehabilitation, emphasizing multidisciplinary and personalized strategies. Brief information on the pathophysiology of the condition is provided, focusing on viral persistence, immune dysregulation, endothelial dysfunction, and autonomic nervous system disorders. Rehabilitation approaches are discussed in terms of multidisciplinary management, the principles of human factors engineering, and the concept of treatable traits. Rehabilitation methods covered include physical rehabilitation using the Pacing strategy, respiratory and cognitive rehabilitation, psychological support, management of autonomic dysfunction, telerehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, and nutritional support. A literature search was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and eLibrary databases for the period from January 2020 to March 2026, using the following keywords and their combinations: “post-COVID-19 condition”, “long COVID”, “post-COVID syndrome”, “rehabilitation”, “multidisciplinary approach”, “exercise therapy”, “pacing”, “cognitive rehabilitation”, “autonomic dysfunction”, and “post-exertional malaise”. Clinical guidelines, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials published in Russian and English were included, with priority given to publications from the last five years
About the Author
V. V. Shipulin
Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Vladimir V. Shipulin, PhD
111a Kievskaya Str., Tomsk 634012
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Shipulin V.V. Rehabilitation approaches for patients with post-COVID syndrome. Journal of Medical Rehabilitation. 2026;4(1):32–41. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17749/2949-5873/rehabil.2026.63
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