Schaefer Laura V, Bittmann Frank N
Regulative Physiology and Prevention, Department of Sports and Health Sciences, University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Practice of Integrative Medicine Bittmann, Potsdam, Germany.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 11;9:879971. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.879971. eCollection 2022.
The increasing prevalence of Long COVID is an imminent public health disaster, and established approaches have not provided adequate diagnostics or treatments. Recently, anesthetic blockade of the stellate ganglion was reported to improve Long COVID symptoms in a small case series, purportedly by "rebooting" the autonomic nervous system. Here, we present a novel diagnostic approach based on the Adaptive Force (AF), and report sustained positive outcome for one severely affected Long COVID patient using individualized pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) at the area C7/T1. AF reflects the capacity of the neuromuscular system to adapt adequately to external forces in an isometric holding manner. In case, maximal isometric AF (AFiso) is exceeded, the muscle merges into eccentric muscle action. Thereby, the force usually increases further until maximal AF (AFmax) is reached. In case adaptation is optimal, AFiso is 99-100% of AFmax. This holding capacity (AFiso) was found to be vulnerable to disruption by unpleasant stimulus and, hence, was regarded as functional parameter. AF was assessed by an objectified manual muscle test using a handheld device. Prior to treatment, AFiso was considerably lower than AFmax for hip flexors (62 = ~28% AFmax) and elbow flexors (71 = ~44% AFmax); i.e., maximal holding capacity was significantly reduced, indicating dysfunctional motor control. We tested PEMF at C7/T1, identified a frequency that improved neuromuscular function, and applied it for ~15 min. Immediately post-treatment, AFiso increased to ~210 (100% AFmax) at hip and 184 (100% AFmax) at elbow. Subjective Long COVID symptoms resolved the following day. At 4 weeks post-treatment, maximal holding capacity was still on a similarly high level as for immediately post-treatment (100% AFmax) and patient was symptom-free. At 6 months the patient's Long COVID symptoms have not returned. This case report suggests (1) AF could be a promising diagnostic for post-infectious illness, (2) AF can be used to test effective treatments for post-infectious illness, and (3) individualized PEMF may resolve post-infectious symptoms.
长期新冠的患病率不断上升是一场迫在眉睫的公共卫生灾难，而现有的方法尚未提供足够的诊断或治疗手段。最近，据报道，在一个小病例系列中，星状神经节的麻醉阻滞改善了长期新冠症状，据称是通过“重启”自主神经系统。在此，我们提出一种基于自适应力（AF）的新型诊断方法，并报告了一名重症长期新冠患者在C7/T1区域使用个体化脉冲电磁场（PEMF）后持续的积极结果。AF反映了神经肌肉系统以等长收缩方式充分适应外力的能力。如果超过最大等长AF（AFiso），肌肉就会进入离心肌肉动作。由此，力量通常会进一步增加，直到达到最大AF（AFmax）。如果适应最佳，AFiso约为AFmax的99 - 100%。发现这种保持能力（AFiso）容易受到不愉快刺激的干扰，因此被视为功能参数。AF通过使用手持设备的客观徒手肌力测试进行评估。治疗前，髋屈肌的AFiso远低于AFmax（62 = 约28% AFmax），肘屈肌的AFiso也远低于AFmax（71 = 约44% AFmax）；即最大保持能力显著降低，表明运动控制功能失调。我们在C7/T1测试了PEMF，确定了一个改善神经肌肉功能的频率，并应用了约15分钟。治疗后立即测量，髋部的AFiso增加到约210（约100% AFmax） , 肘部的AFiso增加到184（约100% AFmax）。长期新冠的主观症状在第二天得到缓解。治疗后4周，最大保持能力仍与治疗后立即测量时处于相似的高水平（约100% AFmax），且患者无症状。6个月时，患者的长期新冠症状未复发。本病例报告表明：（1）AF可能是一种有前景的感染后疾病诊断方法；（2）AF可用于测试感染后疾病的有效治疗方法；（3）个体化PEMF可能解决感染后症状。
