A former Team GB rower, Oonagh Cousins, has criticised a course run by the Lightning Process for exploiting people suffering from long Covid. The programme claimed it could rewire participants’ brains to quickly stop or improve long Covid symptoms. Cousins, who developed long Covid after testing positive for coronavirus in March 2020, said she felt “blamed” for her illness. The three-day course usually costs around £1,000, but Cousins was offered a free place after going public with her struggles.
The Lightning Process was founded by Dr Phil Parker, who has a PhD in psychology of health but is not a medical doctor. According to Parker, the practice uses peer-reviewed evidence to “influence physiological changes” by using the brain. However, experts have criticised the behavioural approach for disregarding the underlying damage found in long Covid patients that can be measured in tests. Some participants have reportedly been encouraged to increase their activity levels without medical supervision, which goes against official NHS guidelines.
Long Covid is an umbrella term used to describe a range of different symptoms in various individuals, and so has no official test or approved treatment. In the past, illnesses for which tests are not yet available have been linked to negative thinking or mindset. Prof Danny Altmann, a leading researcher in long Covid, has called for more consistent services for patients as there appears to be a lack of them, leaving some with nowhere to turn.
While there is some evidence that the brain can create symptoms of ill health, neuroscientist Dr Camilla Nord claims the Lightning Process’s claim that there’s nothing physically wrong with the body is “a wild claim”. She added that therapies that calm the body’s stress response may help some, but not everyone can actively change their symptoms. Long Covid support groups have also highlighted the lack of consistent services available, likening it to a “postcode lottery
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