Immuno-modulation with lifestyle behaviour change to reduce SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 severity: goals consistent with contemporary physiotherapy practice.
Elizabeth Dean, Anne Söderlund, Rik Gosselink, Alice Y M Jones, Homer Peng-Ming Yu, Margot Skinner
PMID 34563382WHAT IT FOUND
This paper argues that physiotherapists should formally teach lifestyle behaviour change skills, such as diet and exercise advice, to help patients reduce chronic inflammation.
It outlines a professional role and curriculum goals but reports no evidence that these interventions improved patient outcomes in this study.
What this paper is
This is a narrative review and position paper arguing for the integration of lifestyle behaviour change competencies into physiotherapy education to manage chronic inflammation and reduce COVID-19 severity. It proposes theoretical frameworks and educational standards but reports no patient outcomes, clinical trials, or direct evidence of intervention efficacy. There are no findings here to change your clinical practice on.
What it does not show
The paper is a narrative review and opinion piece, not a systematic review or clinical trial. It relies on theoretical proposals and existing literature to argue for a role in immune-modulation, rather than presenting new data on patient responses to treatment. Claims about reducing SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility through specific lifestyle changes are presented as logical extensions of known inflammation pathways, not as results observed in a study population.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that physiotherapy-led lifestyle interventions have been tested and proven to reduce COVID-19 susceptibility or severity. The paper describes a proposed professional competency and theoretical benefit, not a clinical trial result.