POTS, Long COVID, and Autonomic Dysfunction: A New Frontier for Rehabilitation Medicine

Monday, May 18, 2026

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM PT

Location: 118

Ideal Audience:Physicians, Researchers, Residents/Fellows, Medical Students

Speaker(s)

Kavita D. Nadendla, MD

Assistant Professor
Kennedy Krieger Institute/The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Course Director(s)

Tae Chung, MD (he/him/his)

Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Speaker(s)

Raouf Gharbo, DO (he/him/his)

Director of Autonomic Rehabilitation
VCU School of Medicine
Manoj Sivan, MD FRCP

Clinical Professor in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at University of Leeds & Leeds NHS Trusts
University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Brief Session Description : This session will highlight the critical role of physiatrists in managing POTS and long COVID–related autonomic dysfunction in both adult and pediatric populations. Presenters will review clinical features and management strategies, explore autonomic dysfunction and exercise intolerance, and discuss innovative rehabilitation approaches that integrate autonomic regulation with functional recovery. The program will emphasize the expanding role of autonomic testing in physiatric practice, offering attendees practical insights into emerging strategies and collaborative models of care for these complex conditions.

Session Objectives:

Recognize the clinical presentation, diagnostic considerations, and functional impact of POTS and related autonomic disorders in rehabilitation populations.

Understand the links between long COVID, POTS, and autonomic dysfunction, including implications for long-term disability and rehabilitation outcomes.

Apply evidence-based, non-pharmacological, and rehabilitation-oriented strategies (hydration, exercise, wearable technology, compression, etc.) to the management of autonomic disorders, in addition to autonomic function test.

Explore the role of PM&R in advancing autonomic medicine as a subspecialty frontier - including interdisciplinary care, clinical trials, and global collaboration.
CanMEDS: Medical Expert. Health Advocate. Scholar.