Rehab for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village

POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village: Rehab Options

If you are dealing with heart racing, lightheadedness, fatigue, and “crash days” after a viral illness, you are not imagining it. I meet people from Westlake Village all the time who were told their labs are normal, but their body still feels unstable, especially when they stand, walk, drive, or try to exercise.

I am Dr. Alireza Chizari, and in this article I will explain how I think about POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village, why symptoms often spike during everyday tasks, and how a structured rehab plan can help you rebuild capacity without triggering setbacks.

You are the hero here. You are the one living inside the symptoms and trying to keep life moving. My role and my team’s role at California Brain and Spine Center in Calabasas is to be your expert guide, help you identify what is driving your pattern, and build a non-invasive plan that fits your real life.

Why POTS after viral illness can feel like your body “lost its rules”

When a virus is the tipping point, many patients tell me the same thing: “I used to trust my body, and now it reacts like an alarm system.” That is a very common experience with POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village, especially when you add heat, stress, dehydration, poor sleep, or long periods of standing.

POTS is typically associated with orthostatic intolerance, meaning symptoms worsen when you move upright. In a lot of cases, rehab for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village is not about pushing harder. It is about rebuilding your baseline with smarter inputs and calmer progression, so your nervous system stops treating normal life as a threat.

Here is what I want you to hear early: your symptoms can have a pattern and a logic, even when previous appointments felt dismissive.

What rehab for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village should include, and what it should avoid

When people search POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village, they are usually looking for one thing: a plan that works in real life. A good rehab strategy typically combines several pillars:

• Smart hydration and volume support, often including increased fluids and salt when medically appropriate
• Compression strategies that reduce blood pooling in the legs
• An exercise progression that starts horizontal or seated, then gradually builds upright tolerance
• Pacing so you stop the boom-bust cycle and regain predictability
• A deeper evaluation when symptoms do not fit a clean POTS picture

What it should avoid is the most common trap I see in motivated patients: forcing upright cardio too early and then crashing for days. Evidence-informed POTS exercise programs commonly start with recumbent training and progress gradually for a reason .

You do not build resilience by proving you can suffer. You build it by staying inside a safe window, consistently.

The “Westlake Village pattern”: why errands and short conversations can wipe you out

This is something I hear from Westlake Village patients often: “I did not even exercise. I just drove, shopped, and talked.” From a nervous system perspective, that can still be a high-load day.

Driving, stores, and conversations stack multiple demands:

• upright posture and blood flow control
• visual processing and head movement tolerance
• sensory filtering (lights, noise, motion)
• emotional stress about symptoms

When someone is dealing with POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village, those layers can drain the system faster than expected. That is why we build rehab around the reality of your days, not the fantasy of a perfect schedule.

How a modern clinic evaluates POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village before prescribing “rehab”

At California Brain and Spine Center, patients are not treated with a one-size plan. A careful workup helps determine whether the pattern truly matches POTS, a related orthostatic intolerance pattern, vestibular dysfunction, migraine physiology, cervical contributions, or a combination.

A practical evaluation for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village often includes:

• Orthostatic vitals and symptom mapping across positions (lying, sitting, standing)
• Screening for vestibular and visual triggers that mimic or amplify “POTS-like” dizziness
• A neurological exam focused on balance, eye movements, and autonomic stress responses
• A review of medications, hydration habits, sleep, and activity patterns
• A discussion of what happens 6 to 24 hours after exertion (the delayed crash pattern)

This matters because exercise is usually recommended as part of POTS management, but it must be graded and individualized, and often paired with volume strategies and compression .

Clarity reduces fear. When you understand the driver, you stop guessing, and your progress becomes measurable.

The key question: is your dizziness autonomic, vestibular, visual, cervical, or mixed?

Many patients with POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village use the word dizziness, but they mean different sensations: lightheadedness, floating, rocking, imbalance, nausea, or visual strain. Different systems require different rehab emphasis.

In a vestibular-informed clinic, this is where tools like vestibular rehabilitation, balance disorder therapy, and NeuroSensory Integration can become part of a broader dysautonomia plan, not a separate silo.

The core rehab pillars for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village

At California Brain and Spine Center, patients are usually coached through a foundation-first strategy. It often includes:

1) Volume support: fluids and salt, when appropriate

A common foundation of POTS care includes frequent fluids and increased salt intake when medically appropriate . This is not a generic “drink more water” suggestion. The goal is to support circulation and reduce orthostatic symptoms.

2) Compression to reduce leg pooling

Medical compression stockings can reduce pooling and support symptom control . If you have not tried compression correctly, this can be a surprisingly meaningful lever.

3) Exercise that starts recumbent, not upright

Many evidence-informed protocols start with horizontal or seated exercise and progress over time . This is one of the biggest “why didn’t anyone tell me this” moments for patients.

4) Pacing and symptom-threshold training

A lot of setbacks come from doing too much on a good day. A pacing framework helps keep the nervous system below the crash threshold so capacity can actually grow.

5) Nervous system regulation and recovery support

Depending on the case, non-invasive neurology tools and recovery strategies may be used to support resilience and reduce hypersensitivity. In our clinic, this can include methods like PEMF, HBOT, LLLT, GammaCore vagus nerve stimulation, and our NeuroRevive Program when clinically appropriate for the individual.

The best rehab is not the hardest plan. It is the plan you can repeat without paying for it tomorrow.

Image note: “Photorealistic image of a white male doctor in a modern clinic office in Calabasas reviewing a simple pacing plan with an attractive adult American woman patient, calm lighting, professional reassuring atmosphere, no visible logos, no text on screen.”

My practical pacing-first training map for rehab in Westlake Village patients

I want rehab for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village to feel doable, not intimidating. Here is the pacing-first map I often use conceptually when I coach patients. This is not a substitute for individualized care, but it shows the logic.

Step 1: Find the true baseline that does not trigger a crash

If you can do an activity today but it wipes you out for 24 to 48 hours, it is not your baseline. Baseline is what you can repeat.

Step 2: Start with recumbent cardio plus light strength

Recumbent bike, rowing, or other seated options are commonly used early because they reduce orthostatic stress . This fits many cases of POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village better than walking-only programs.

Step 3: Progress in small increments, held steady for days

The nervous system adapts through repetition, not heroic spikes. Tiny increases held consistently beat big jumps that trigger a crash.

Step 4: Add upright tolerance on purpose, not by accident

Upright time should be trained. That can include brief standing intervals, short walks, and controlled exposure to real-life environments.

Image note: “Photorealistic image of an attractive adult American woman using a recumbent bike in a calm rehab setting, with a white male doctor observing posture and heart rate calmly, clinical realism, no text or logos.”

Warning signs: when to slow down or get checked before continuing rehab

In POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village, symptoms can fluctuate. Some fluctuations are expected. Others are signals to pause and reassess. I recommend urgent medical evaluation for new severe symptoms such as chest pain, fainting with injury, severe shortness of breath, or sudden neurological deficits.

For non-emergency situations, it may be time to slow down and re-evaluate if:

• Your heart rate stays extremely elevated well after stopping activity
• You cannot find any stable baseline day-to-day
• Dizziness becomes severe and constant rather than positional or exertional
• Symptoms rapidly worsen over weeks instead of gradually stabilizing
• You have repeated near-fainting or true fainting episodes

This is where a clinic that understands dysautonomia, vestibular drivers of dizziness, and post-viral nervous system sensitization can be valuable.

Your body is not failing you. It is giving you data. The goal is to listen early, not after the crash.

Image note: “Photorealistic image of a white male doctor gently explaining safety warning signs to an attractive adult American woman patient in a modern clinic exam room, calm tone, soft clinical lighting, no text, no logos.”

A short case story from my clinic

Some time ago, a patient named M. came to see me from the Westlake Village area. She had a viral illness months earlier and then developed a pattern that fit POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village very closely: heart racing when standing, lightheadedness in stores, fatigue that hit later in the day, and anxiety that grew because she could not predict her body.

She had already tried “walking more” and every attempt made her crash. In our clinic, we mapped her symptoms carefully, screened for orthostatic intolerance patterns, and evaluated vestibular and visual triggers that were amplifying her dizziness. Then we built a non-invasive plan: recumbent-based conditioning, a pacing system to stop boom-bust cycles, vestibular rehabilitation elements for motion sensitivity, and targeted nervous system regulation strategies.

Over time, her setbacks became less dramatic. She began to tolerate errands without the same level of payback. Most importantly, she told me, “I feel like I have a plan again.” That is the real win. In my experience, rehab for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village works best when it restores confidence and predictability, not just numbers on a heart rate monitor.

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Your most common questions about POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village

1) Is POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village the same as long COVID?
Not always, but there can be overlap. Some people develop POTS-like orthostatic intolerance after viral infections, including COVID. The label matters less than identifying your pattern and building a rehab plan that fits your physiology.

2) Should I force myself to walk more to “recondition”?
Not if walking triggers repeated crashes. Many evidence-informed approaches begin with recumbent or seated exercise and progress gradually . The right plan should reduce payback, not prove toughness.

3) How important are fluids, salt, and compression in rehab?
For many patients, they are foundational. Guidance often includes frequent fluids and increased salt intake when appropriate, and compression stockings to reduce pooling . Your medical history matters, so this should be individualized.

4) What if my main symptom is dizziness, not tachycardia?
Dizziness can be autonomic, vestibular, visual, cervical, or mixed. That is why a vestibular-informed evaluation can matter. If your dizziness is strongly triggered by motion, stores, screens, or head movement, vestibular rehabilitation and NeuroSensory Integration strategies may be relevant.

5) How long does rehab for POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village usually take?
There is no single timeline. Many people improve gradually with a steady plan, but the pace depends on your baseline, triggers, and whether dysautonomia, vestibular dysfunction, migraine physiology, or other factors are involved. The key is consistent progression without repeated crashes.

6) When should I seek a specialized evaluation rather than trying to manage it alone?
If you cannot find a stable baseline, if symptoms are shrinking your life, or if you are having frequent near-fainting, severe dizziness, or intense crashes, it is time to be evaluated. The goal is not more tests for the sake of tests. The goal is a clear plan.

Conclusion

I know how discouraging it is to live with a body that feels unpredictable. If you are dealing with POTS after viral illness in Westlake Village, you deserve a plan that respects your nervous system, your responsibilities, and your goals.

The core idea is simple: build a foundation (volume support, compression when appropriate, and recumbent-first conditioning), use pacing to stay under the crash threshold, and address vestibular or visual drivers when they are part of the picture. When we do that, progress often becomes steadier and less frightening .

If you are in Westlake Village or nearby and you want help turning symptoms into a structured rehab plan, my team and I can guide you through a personalized neurological, vestibular, and autonomic evaluation at our Calabasas clinic. Our goal is not to “push you through” symptoms. Our goal is to help you move toward a more stable, functional life.

If you are ready to take the next step, contact California Brain and Spine Center to request an appointment for a personalized evaluation. We will help you understand your pattern and build a non-invasive plan that fits the best version of your life, not just a temporary workaround.