We're approaching the four-year mark since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lingering effects of long COVID continue to afflict tens of thousands of Americans. Among the sufferers, 20-year-old Allison Slayton has pursued a new approach to treatment, finding hope in occupational therapy.

Slayton, who describes her symptoms as feeling constantly dizzy and disoriented, explains, "It feels like I've been spinning in a hundred circles, and then I just stop. It feels like if I stand up, I won't be able to walk in a straight line, and there's my vision and dots, and I can't really see."

The young college student was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which medical professionals believe was triggered by her long COVID symptoms. However, POTS and the wider range of long COVID symptoms are often labeled as invisible disabilities that are poorly understood.

Occupational therapist Jenna Hopkins, part of the team at University Health, shared her insights on the matter, stating, "When patients first started presenting long COVID symptoms, about a year after the pandemic began, we noticed striking similarities to those who have experienced a concussion or a stroke."

Hopkins highlights the lack of literature available at the time and explains, "We turned to the principles of neuroplasticity and treatment methods used for concussions to develop therapy techniques for long COVID patients." She emphasizes that the symptoms can be remarkably similar, with patients experiencing deficits similar to those found in concussion cases.

Drawing parallels, Hopkins suggests that therapeutic intervention is the best course of action for both unidentifiable concussions and the complexities of long COVID. She believes that therapy, although it may not reveal tangible evidence on scans, aids in addressing the array of deficits associated with these conditions.

Furthermore, Hopkins advocates for physical therapy as an effective treatment method, emphasizing its ability to mirror numerous long COVID symptoms and stimulate the body's natural healing response from an injury it recognizes as recoverable. A study conducted by the American Physical Therapy Association supports this claim, citing improvements in cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal impairments connected to long COVID symptoms through physical therapy interventions.

Celebrating the success of her approach, Hopkins has treated nearly 100 long COVID patients, many of whom share similar symptoms to Slayton. Slayton herself testifies to the effectiveness of occupational therapy, stating, "Everything is worth a shot. So, I give it a shot, and now I feel better."

According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 7% of individuals who have contracted COVID-19 experience symptoms for three or more months after testing positive. As research and understanding of long COVID and its potential therapies continue to evolve, individuals like Slayton find hope in unconventional treatments that offer relief and improvement in their quality of life.

As medical professionals gain more insights into the complexities of long COVID, unconventional approaches such as occupational therapy prove to be valuable tools in the ongoing battle against the lasting effects of the pandemic. With further research and dedicated therapies, it is hoped that a growing number of long COVID sufferers will find similar relief and regain their health and well-being.