New opportunities for improving vasomotor function and increasing adaptive and compensatory capabilities on the example of rehabilitation of patients with post-COVID syndrome

Purpose . To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using a dynamic inversion table to improve vasomotor function of the microvasculature and increase functional reserves in patients with post-COVID syndrome. Materials and methods . The study involved 70 patients aged 18 to 75 years (35 in the main group and 35 in the control groups) with a history of COVID-19 (confirmed), with persistent complaints of a decrease in quality of life for more than 12 weeks after suffering the disease. The main and control groups were formed by randomization. Patients of the control group received a ten-day rehabilitation course according to temporary methodological recommendations, patients of the control group received a ten-day course of using a dynamic inversion table (tested medical equipment). To assess the functional status, stress cardiorespiratory testing was performed, the state of microcirculation was assessed by the results of occlusive test performed by laser Doppler flowmetry. Results . It was revealed that at the end of the rehabilitation course in the main group there was a significant increase in the amount of work performed during cardiorespiratory stress testing (+13.31 W). The main group also showed a significant increase in the metabolic equivalent of the work performed after the rehabilitation course and amounted to +0.6 MET, an increase in the relative maximum oxygen consumption at the load height (+2.43 ml/min/kg). In addition, a significant increase in post-occlusive blood flow was detected in the main group based on the results of post-occlusive sample analysis (+80.42 %) after the rehabilitation course, while there was a slight decrease of the indicator in the control group. Conclusions . The method of improving vasomotor function of microvasculature using dynamic inversion table can be effective for patients with reduced reserves for improvement of physical quality of life. This method may be promising for the rehabilitation of patients with microcirculation dysfunction.