Long COVID & Physiotherapy - Supporting Patient Care & Well-Being

Overview

Long COVID & Physiotherapy: Supporting Patient Care and Well-Being is an on-demand continuing education course presented by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. This timely and compassionate course equips physiotherapists with foundational knowledge and practical strategies to support individuals living with Long COVID, a complex and fluctuating condition that continues to challenge traditional rehabilitation models.

Drawing on emerging evidence, clinical experience, and powerful lived-experience narratives from physiotherapists with Long COVID, this course emphasizes validation, pacing, symptom management, and clinician self-compassion. It provides guidance on how to assess and treat patients safely while acknowledging uncertainty, variability, and the profound impact Long COVID can have on daily life and professional identity.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe Long COVID using current clinical definitions and emerging evidence.

2. Recognize common symptom patterns, including fatigue, post-exertional symptom exacerbation, cognitive dysfunction, and autonomic disturbances.

3. Apply physiotherapy-informed strategies to support patient care, pacing, and recovery.

4. Validate patient experiences and reduce stigma through trauma-informed, person-centred care.

5. Reflect on clinician well-being, including managing uncertainty, emotional burden, and professional frustration when treating Long COVID.

Audience

This course is designed for:

• Physiotherapists working in primary care, rehabilitation, cardiorespiratory, neurological, or community settings.

• Clinicians supporting patients with post-viral conditions or persistent symptoms.

• Healthcare professionals seeking guidance in an evolving clinical area.

• Physiotherapists experiencing or recovering from Long COVID themselves.

• Clinicians completing continuing professional development or seeking greater confidence in managing complex, fluctuating conditions.

Why This Course Matters

Long COVID presents unique challenges for both patients and clinicians. Symptoms are often invisible, unpredictable, and poorly understood, leading to stigma, misinterpretation, and harm when traditional rehabilitation approaches are applied too aggressively.

This course matters because it:

• Centers lived experience, helping clinicians truly understand the impact of Long COVID on function, identity, and quality of life.

• Emphasizes pacing and safety, reducing the risk of post-exertional symptom exacerbation.

• Supports compassionate, evidence-informed care in the absence of definitive treatment pathways.

• Validates clinician experience, acknowledging fear, frustration, and uncertainty while offering reassurance and community.

• Aligns physiotherapy practice with emerging international guidance on post-COVID-19 condition.

About the Presenters

This course is delivered by a panel of experienced physiotherapists and contributors with expertise in Long COVID, including clinicians with lived experience of the condition. Their combined perspectives bridge clinical knowledge, patient advocacy, and professional reflection, offering a rare and impactful learning experience grounded in empathy, realism, and care.

The panelists are:

• Simon Décary, Physiotherapist, PhD, Professor University of Sherbrooke, Implementation science in long COVID
• Jessica DeMars, physiotherapist working with people who have Long COVID
• Cara Kaup, a paediatric physical therapist and a person living with Long COVID in Canada
• Alyssa Minor, physiotherapist and a person living with Long COVID in Canada
• Kyra Perry, private practice physiotherapist and a person living with Long COVID in Canada

What Participants Are Saying

“Excellent presentation overall. Great mix of lived experience and advice… Left me with a real understanding of how to approach assessing and treating this population and truly understand their needs.”

“As a physio recovering from COVID and pneumonia, this was an eye opener for me and supported me to slow down. I got the message. Thank you for your immense caring.” 

“This webinar will be of great value for my clinical experiences… validating patient symptoms and helping them re-establish a better quality of life.” 

“Very impactful to hear their advice on how to help myself as a clinician — to know my frustrations and fears are founded and that I’m not alone.”

Feedback consistently highlights the course’s empathy, validation, and practical direction, particularly its balance of clinical guidance and lived experience.