POTS Management: The Exercise Dilemma and Where Clinical Decision Making Came From

In this episode, Sarah Diekman, MD, JD, MS, MPH, a POTS and Dysautonomia expert, and YMyHealth Podcast Co-Host, Melissa Schenkman, MPH, MSJ, discuss the complex role of exercise in POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) symptom management. Dr. Diekman highlights the historical context of exercise recommendations, the varying responses of patients to exercise, and the importance of individualized care. The conversation also touches on the controversial PACE trial and its implications for patients with POTS and the related conditions of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Highlights:

• (00:00) Meet Dr. Sarah Diekman, an expert and POTS patient. 
• (00:26) The longtime controversy of exercise in POTS for patients living with the condition.
• (01:56) The historical context that is crucial to understanding current exercise protocols.
• (03:32) Why this historical basis does not apply to actual POTS patients on Earth.
• (04:06) POTS patients who do well with exercise versus those who it is harmful for.
• (05:00) The PACE trial and how it harmed POTS patients
• (06:00) The significant overlap between POTS and ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
• (07:18) How Dr. Sarah Diekman assesses each patient's exercise tolerance or intolerance.  
• (08:07) Giveaway winner announcement

Links:

Are you a millennial interested in learning more about healthcare issues specifically related to your generation? Start here: https://www.ymyhealth.com/ and follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ymyhealth_/

Interested in sponsoring the YMyHealth podcast? We'd love to partner with brands and organizations that align with our mission of providing healthcare education to millennials. Contact us at [email protected] for sponsorship opportunities.

Learn about YMyHealth's Founder, Melissa Schenkman here: https://www.ymyhealth.com/team/melissa-schenkman

Thanks again to our sponsor Dr. Sarah Diekman, Director of Diekman Dysautonomia! If you’d like to learn more about our sponsor and her practice that provides care to patients with POTS and Long COVID, go to https://dysautonomiaexpert.com/.