Dr. Sally Riggs: How Understanding Shutdown Response Can Speed Up Long Covid Recovery
- Condition
- Long COVID
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving
- 19 months
- Published
- No date given
In their words
- Condition: Long COVID
in my long covid clinical presentation
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - At worst: Moderate
I was still doing a lot of trainings three-day workshops which were just absolutely excruciating but I needed the money
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Now: Near normal
I only take two new clients per month because I still need to honor my own recovery
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Began after: COVID
Friday my covid symptoms started
Summary
Sally Riggs, a New York psychologist, was ill from March 2020 with long covid and ME/CFS, and by late 2020 she was barely able to walk. Yoga, breathwork, massage and acupuncture each caused crashes. After starting the Safe and Sound Protocol in September 2021, her brain fog and fatigue eased within about a month and she returned to full-time work. She says she has been recovered for about four years.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- physiotherapy at Mount Si PT clinic · Worse
I started working with janit Toto did not do very well with that chess pain got worse and worse
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Susie Bolt yoga · Much worse
I tried Susie Bolt yoga crashed after every
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Transcendental Meditation · No change
it was lovely I enjoyed it very much but it didn't really do anything for me
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - St breath work program · Worse
I did the St breath work program could not get on with that at all
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - lymphatic massage · Worse
I tried lymphatic massage I tried cranio sacral I tried raiki literally crashed every time
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - acupuncture · Much worse
oh acupuncture was the worst crash ever
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - radical rest · No change
literally not feeling any different than when I had taken off
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Safe and Sound Protocol · Helped a lot
I did the safe and sound protocol starting the beginning maybe late September
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - polyvagal and somatic practices (nervous system tracker, rocking, cushions, weighted blanket) · Helped
trying out all kinds of different poly vagal and sematic practices and supports
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - heart rate monitor · Not said
I was wearing heart rate monitor by that point
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions
Approaches: Trauma & somatic work
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. The dashed part: the story doesn’t say when. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2020 | Mild acute COVID; kept seeing patients from bedFriday my covid symptoms started um and that was March 13Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Mild | |
| August 2020 | Worse after a 7-hour flight to the UK; last run in Septemberunfortunately I hadn't factored in the fact that flying 7 hours at 10,000 ft whatever ever it is has a big impact on your body if you've got long covidWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Mild | |
| December 2020 | Second flight to London; chronic fatigue beganDecember I foolishly decided to also fly to London again and that was the beginning of the chronic fatigueWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Moderate | |
| 2021 | Chronic fatigue year; cut back work, crashed after most things she triedgoing into 21 basically 2021 was chronic fatigue yearWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Moderate | |
| end of October 2021 | Safe and Sound Protocol; brain fog and fatigue eased, back to full-time workbrain fog was better fatigue was better was able to be working full-time againWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Mild | |
| — | Working and writing, still managing her nervous system through the day to avoid crashesif I have those things in place then that will keep me as safe as possible and avoid me going into a crash this afternoonWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Near normal | Sarno / TMS / somatic tracking / JournalSpeak |
Adverse events
- Meditation, yoga, breathwork“I tried Susie Bolt yoga crashed after every” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
- Meditation, yoga, breathwork“you will go into a crash and that's what would happen to me over and over” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
- Manual lymphatic drainage“I tried lymphatic massage I tried cranio sacral I tried raiki literally crashed every time” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
- “I tried lymphatic massage I tried cranio sacral I tried raiki literally crashed every time” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
- Acupuncture“oh acupuncture was the worst crash ever” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
- Physical therapy / physiotherapy“I started working with janit Toto did not do very well with that chess pain got worse and worse” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
- “flying 7 hours at 10,000 ft whatever ever it is has a big impact on your body if you've got long covid” Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions Made symptoms worse
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
literally crashed every time
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Brain fog
when the brain fog lifts
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - POTS & dysautonomia
I have a lot of pots
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Mast cell (MCAS) & allergies
I have a lot of mcast
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Pain & fibromyalgia
that lovely rib pain that a lot of people had had
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Heart symptoms & palpitations
starting to notice chest pain at the end of my run
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Breathlessness
starting to notice shortness of breath just walking up a small hill
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Flu-like symptoms
body aches chills
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Loss of smell or taste
I had a weird like metallic taste
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions
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