Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) causes persistent symptoms that impair quality of life, and telerehabilitation (TR) provides an effective remote alternative for addressing these challenges.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a TR-based exercise program on dyspnea, pain intensity, and functional capacity in individuals with PCS.
Design: Sixty PCS patients were randomized into a telerehabilitation group (TG, n = 32) or a control group (CG, n = 28). The TG received supervised TR sessions twice a week for 6 weeks, while the CG performed unsupervised home exercises. Assessments were conducted at the baseline and the end of 6 weeks.
Results: TG showed significantly greater improvements compared to CG. mMRC decreased by 1.16 (95% CI, 0.93-1.38) vs. 0.36 (95% CI, 0.17-0.55), NPRS by 1.44 (95% CI, 0.95-1.92) vs. 0.6 (95% CI, 0.28-0.93), and 5-TST improved by 6.8 s (95% CI, 5.59-8.01) vs. 2.12 s (95% CI, 1.08-3.17). Significant differences were also observed for PSQI (p = 0.018) and HADS-anxiety (p = 0.001).
Conclusions: A TR-based exercise program significantly reduced dyspnea and pain intensity while improving functional capacity in PCS patients, making it an effective alternative to unsupervised exercise regimens.
Trial registration: This study is prospectively registered at NCT05381675 ( clinicaltrials.gov ).