When thinking about possible treatments for Long Covid , opera might not be the first thing to spring to the occupational therapist ’ s mind . Whether we are opera fans or not , we might wonder what on earth [ it has ] to do with treating a serious long-term condition …” rote , although song sheets are available on the participant hub , so there is no need to try and remember lyrics or take notes .
The selected songs are often curiously appropriate as an approach to Long Covid ; life-affirming , lyrical and calming , although sometimes with a note of sadness and loss in the backstories .
There are also playlists and videos of a wide variety of songs , including some more traditionally operatic ones , available on the participant hub . This open and inclusive approach chimes in well with RCOT ’ s recent drive to greater inclusivity and access to healthcare .
Given that this is a six-week , self-help , skillsbased course , and not an ongoing relational therapy group , the sessions are conducted with great therapeutic skill and sensitivity to the ongoing trauma that participants are experiencing .
And given that it takes place on Zoom , it feels surprisingly ‘ real ’ and occasionally takes advantage of the medium to put participants more at ease – when you are singing by yourself in a room into a muted computer , you may feel silly – you are unlikely to be socially embarrassed .
There is some real group bonding . I , for one , felt genuine sadness when the group came to an end . Luckily , group members are not only able to access the participant hub indefinitely to remind themselves of the songs and exercises , but can join in ongoing ‘ twilight ’ group sessions held once a week and open to all who have completed the programme .
The thoroughness with which the positive aspects of Zoom-only sessions have been integrated with a web-based resource and ongoing digital support will be of interest to occupational therapists keen to use such technologies in their own services .
Throughout the programme runs a constant thread , directing and redirecting attention back to breathing and to awareness of the moment . On a personal level , I found this extremely helpful , even though I would not have said that I had major problems with breathing .
We can so easily forget how fundamental breathing is . I now use some of the exercises daily and most of the others as and when I need to . Participating has made me reflect more widely on how many of my pre-Covid hobbies , such as swimming , long distance walking and oboe-playing , are built on the foundation of wellregulated breathing . Not being able to do them has left a gap I didn ’ t even notice until now .
It is notoriously hard to prove the effectiveness of such interventions for poorly understood longterm conditions as Long Covid , but my strong subjective impression is that this has helped me quite considerably – and much more so than I would have expected .
This is not just a programme for middle-class opera lovers , nor is it just a programme for those who experience significant breathlessness . I would advise everyone to consider ENO Breathe for their Long Covid clients .
Crook H , Raza S , Nowell J , Young M , Edison P ( 2021 ) Long Covid – mechanisms , risk factors , and management . BMJ 2021 ; 374 : n1648 doi : 10.1136 / bmj . n1648
Words DOUGLAS HAWES , occupational therapist . For more information on the ENO Breathe intervention from the English National Opera see
www . eno . org / eno-breathe /
© DrAfter123 via Getty Images
30 OTnews June 2022