Dr. Henry Mahncke and Dr. Gitendra Uswatte share groundbreaking research on using brain plasticity principles to treat Long Covid brain fog through a comprehensive approach combining cognitive processing speed training, real-world skill practice, and personalized cognitive rehabilitation strategies.

• Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change its structure and function through learning and experience
• Brain HQ training targets cognitive processing speed to improve overall brain function across multiple domains
• Long Covid causes real biological changes to the brain, including vascular damage and inflammation
• CI Cognitive Therapy combines three components: brain training, everyday task practice, and transfer techniques
• 80% of participants in the small initial study returned to work compared to none in the usual care group
• Brain health bridges physical and mental health, challenging the "it's all in your head" dismissal
• The intervention works by repurposing and growing healthy brain tissue rather than healing damaged tissue
• Approaches vary from "bottom-up" (basic processing) to "top-down" (real-world skills) to meaningful goal setting
• Brain HQ is currently available worldwide, with ongoing research to develop telehealth versions of the full intervention

The University of Alabama Birmingham is currently enrolling participants for their Long Covid cognitive rehabilitation study. Interested individuals can call 205-934-9768 or search "Uswatte Long Covid Cognitive Rehabilitation" online.

Links:

Brain HQ:
brainhq.com

Information about enrolling in the current study:
https://sites.uab.edu/longcovidbraintraining/

Research paper:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/202

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
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Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

In this episode, Jackie is joined by Theresa Aristarco who shares her Long Covid recovery story.

• Theresa's journey from an active software engineer to battling long-haul COVID
• Navigating complex medical challenges and invisible symptoms
• The critical role of mental health in recovery
• Overcoming vestibular issues and physical limitations
• Finding hope and healing through physical therapy, medication, and support

Episode Themes:

• Long COVID recovery
• Mental health and healing
• The importance of community and vulnerability
• Non-linear recovery process

Memorable Quotes:

• "I was never going to get better alone"
• "Progress isn't linear, recovery isn't linear"
• "I'm only recently starting to say I'm not sick anymore"

Links:

• Theresa's website: theresaaristarco.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/theresaaristarco
• Substack: theresaaristarco.substack.com

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Karen Wright from Sage Health and Wellness shares her powerful recovery story from Long COVID, offering hope and practical wisdom for those still struggling with chronic illness.

• Karen was a busy NHS physiotherapist involved in developing Long COVID services before becoming ill herself in autumn 2021
• Her severe case left her unable to speak at times, care for her children, or maintain basic daily activities
• Understanding and accepting true rest became fundamental to her recovery journey
• Finding her energy baseline through careful observation of triggers like food, light sensitivity and conversation was crucial
• Small, consistent actions over time led to gradual improvement including nutrition changes and gentle movement
• An unexpected thyroid cancer diagnosis revealed how some of her persistent symptoms may have been related to cancer rather than Long COVID
• Karen's recovery insights led her to launch Sage Health and Wellness to support others through education programs
• Self-acceptance emerges as a core message: "You're valuable as you are, whatever your productivity looks like"

Links:

Connect with Karen at Sage Health & Wellness:
www.sagehealthandwellness.co.uk

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Dr. David Putrino shares his expertise on Long Covid, approaching it through the lens of comprehensive rehabilitation and personalized medicine rather than one-size-fits-all treatments. He explains how identifying the specific drivers behind common symptoms leads to more effective intervention strategies.

• Rehabilitation medicine encompasses far more than exercise recovery, including energy conservation strategies, mobility aids, and psychological support
• Different symptoms like fatigue can have various causes (sleep disruption, autonomic dysfunction) requiring distinct treatment approaches
• Techniques used for elite athletes to optimize mitochondrial function may benefit Long Covid patients through similar biological pathways
• Stabilizing symptoms through pacing apps and basic interventions creates a foundation for more targeted treatments
• Gender differences in Long Covid prevalence (65-70% women) may relate to protective effects of testosterone
• Treatments must be personalized based on precise understanding of underlying mechanisms rather than symptom categories alone
• Research is uncovering multiple drivers including persistent pathogens, autoimmunity, reactivated infections, and Dysautonomia

For those experiencing Long Covid symptoms, finding clinicians who understand these complex mechanisms and can identify your specific drivers is critical to receiving effective treatment.

Links:
https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/cohen
https://longcovid.physio/
https://www.youtube.com/@CoRESinai

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Jules Rogers returns to the podcast to discuss the essential role of boundaries in chronic illness recovery and everyday wellbeing, sharing how learning to protect our energy can be transformative.

• Boundaries are conscious protections we put in place to maintain our energy and ensure we're not giving beyond what feels right
• Different types include physical, emotional, material, mental, and time boundaries
• Setting boundaries becomes crucial when dealing with chronic illness as a way to preserve energy for healing
• The biggest barriers to maintaining boundaries are guilt, discomfort, and the belief that putting yourself first is selfish
• Jules created a powerful recovery mantra: "Is this going to help me heal?" as a guiding decision-making tool
• Even small boundaries can be beneficial - consistency matters more than size
• Boundaries naturally evolve throughout recovery and life as our needs and capacities change
• Starting with boundaries around the most energy-depleting activities provides the greatest benefit
• Learning to say no without over-explaining ("That doesn't work for me") can be more effective
• The skill of setting boundaries learned during illness becomes a valuable tool for living well after recovery

Jules' blog on boundaries: https://www.julesrogerslifecoach.com/post/10-boundaries-i-ve-put-in-place-so-i-can-live-a-balanced-healthy-and-joyful-life

Jules recovery story: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/15344396

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Dr. David Clarke shares his 40-year journey as a medical consultant specializing in neuroplastic conditions—real physical symptoms generated by the brain in response to stress, trauma, or emotional challenges. He explains how these conditions affect 20% of adults and 40% of doctor visits, yet remain frequently misdiagnosed despite being highly treatable.

• Neuroplastic symptoms are physical manifestations created by the brain in response to stress or trauma
• These conditions affect strong individuals carrying burdens they've normalized, not "weak" or "neurotic" people
• Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can create lasting impacts through stressful personality traits, triggers, and unrecognized emotions
• Brain circuits physically change with chronic stress and can change back with appropriate treatment
• The brain creates all sensations—even with physical injuries, pain signals originate in the brain
• Long Covid and similar conditions may involve neuroplastic mechanisms that maintain symptoms after initial triggers
• Recovery includes reframing self-perception from weakness to strength, setting boundaries, and processing emotions
• Transformation extends beyond symptom relief to improved relationships and becoming "who you were meant to be"

Visit Symptomatic Me to take a 12-item questionnaire assessing for neuroplastic symptoms, and check out "The Story Behind the Symptoms" podcast where Dr. Clarke interviews patients about their recovery journeys.

Symptomatic.Me

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Alishia shares her powerful Long Covid recovery journey—from a highly active farm worker to being couch-bound for over a year, and ultimately back to health through finding safety in her body.

• Worked long weeks in manual farm labour & enjoyed being active before catching Covid in 2020
• Experienced extreme anxiety, heart palpitations, shortness of breath after first infection
• Second COVID infection in 2021 led to complete debilitation with 15+ symptoms
• Functional medicine doctors provided multiple diagnoses & supplement protocols without improvement
• Discovered mind-body work through Dan Buglio and Dr. Sarno
• Somatic tracking meditation, self-Reiki, creating feelings of safety helped
• Learned to set boundaries, let go of perfectionism, & practice self-compassion
• Gradually reintroduced short walks & yoga sessions, surrounding them with joy
• Session with coach Rob Ensor helped eliminate remaining symptoms
• Now works as a mind-body coach & works part-time in farming
• Maintains balance between activity & rest, continuing to practice boundaries & self-care

If you're struggling with Long Covid or ME/CFS, remember that wherever you are in this moment, you are completely lovable right now—your worth isn't tied to your productivity or ability to function.

Links:

Alisha website

Dan Buglio - 24 ways to feel safe

Rob Ensor

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Rachel Rock shares her powerful Long Covid recovery story, detailing her journey from initial illness to healing through understanding and supporting her autonomic nervous system.

• Contracted COVID in May 2022 & developed long COVID whilst attempting to train for a cycling event
• Discovered she was experiencing Dysautonomia & significant blood pressure regulation issues
• Used tracking tools including Welltory app to gather data about HRV & autonomic nervous system function
• Built recovery on four pillars: autonomic nervous system regulation, functional medicine, dietary changes & trauma processing
• Worked with practitioners including Dr. Lydia Knutson who combines chiropractic medicine with energy healing techniques
• Addressed previously unresolved childhood trauma through EMDR therapy & made profound connections to physical symptoms
• Successfully completed bike ride by consciously downregulating instead of pushing through physical challenges
• Learned to recognize bodily signals that indicate nervous system dysregulation
• Found community connections with fellow long COVID sufferers around the world through online classes & support groups
• Continues daily practices to maintain ANS health even after recovery

Links:

Rachel's website

Rachel's LinkedIn

Lydia Knutson episode

Long Covid Breathing course

Work with Jackie

Ed Yong

Recovery themes episode

James Nestor "Breath"

Message the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

Podcast, website & blog: www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook @LongCovidPodcast
Instagram Twitter @LongCovidPod
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

Please get in touch with feedback, suggestions or how you're doing - I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**