The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter

I talk with Heather Wilde, a doctor of physical therapy, about why Long Covid and ME/CFS symptoms can be downstream of blocked drainage and disrupted nervous system signalling rather than a single “broken” part. We follow her plumber and electrician framework from real client stories into craniosacral therapy, inflammation, and why hope often returns when someone finally finds the true restriction. 

• Heather’s hands-on manual therapy approach and why she keeps expanding her toolkit 
• A personal recovery story after decades of ME/CFS and what changed 
• The plumber mindset for fluid flow and the hidden source of symptoms 
• The electrician mindset for nerves, especially the vagus nerve and gut function 
• A case study where a neck restriction links to GI pain and hyperventilation 
• How covid-related inflammation can lock down the head and thorax 
• Lymphatic drainage, sympathetic regulation and the Perrin theory in plain language 
• Why breathwork and manual therapy are hard to research yet powerful in practice 
• What craniosacral therapy is anatomically and what “dura restrictions” mean 
• Touch, listening and rebuilding a healthy relationship with the body 

Links:
Connect with Heather: thewildeclinic.com 
The Perrin Technique: theperrintechnique.com 
My interview with Dr Perrin: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/16397354

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Dan Neuffer and I explore authentic living as a practical way to honour our needs without abandoning responsibility, and why that balance matters even more when we are unwell. We look at how fear, perfectionism, and people-pleasing create inner conflict, drain our energy, and can keep our nervous system stuck in threat. 

• Defining authentic living as self-honouring with balance 
• Why constant selflessness can become self-neglect 
• How childhood patterns and social approval shape our “shoulds” 
• Telltale signs of inauthentic living such as resentment and emotion management 
• The link between internal conflict, safety, and chronic illness recovery such as Long Covid and ME/CFS 
• Perfectionism, social media pressure, and the fear of judgement 
• Practical steps: honesty with ourselves, clearer communication, and boundaries 
• Choosing small wins over drastic decisions to create lasting change 

Connect with Dan: 
CFS Recovery Stories: https://cfsunravelled.com/me-cfs-recovery-stories-patient-me-cfs-stories-with-a-difference/      
ANS REWIRE Free Lessons:  https://ansrewire.com/info-request/ 

Connect with Jackie: 
The Recovery Room website: https://www.jackiesrecoveryroom.com/ 
Breathing Classes: https://longcovidbreathing.com/ 

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

We explore breath as a practical healing tool for Long Covid and ME/CFS, especially when breathlessness, air hunger, or panic keeps the body stuck in survival mode. I share why “appropriate breathwork” is gentle, flexible, and powerful enough to support both recovery and everyday health. 

• Why breathing patterns change during illness and can stay dysfunctional afterwards 
• The vicious cycle where breath discomfort signals danger and escalates symptoms 
• How better breathing supports efficiency and frees energy for healing and life 
• Nervous system regulation through functional breathing and micro moments of safety 
• Why a one-size-fits-all protocol can backfire and what “meet yourself where you are” looks like 
• What to avoid in recovery, including deliberate hyperventilation and breath holds 
• Easing into practices, adjusting dose, and using breath to support pacing and emotions 
• Resources for safe breathwork including courses, blogs, videos, and Insight Timer tracks 

Links: 
Breathing for Long Covid & ME/CFS breathing courses: www.LongCovidBreathing.com 
Breathing blogs: https://longcovidbreathing.com/blogs 
Breathe with me on Insight Timer: https://insig.ht/mqSr1s0245b (or search "Jackie Baxter" on the app
More info about working with me: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com/WorkWithMe 

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

In part two of Jackie’s conversation with physiotherapist and Long Covid patient Robin McNelis (“Robin the Physio”), they dig into how heart rate monitors and wearables can support (or sabotage) pacing in Long Covid and ME/CFS. Robin shares both clinical and personal examples of using tech as a behaviour-change tool, not a dictator, and how it can help people eventually trust their bodies more, not less.

In This Episode:

When heart rate monitoring is helpful and when it becomes stressful and counterproductive
Robin’s concept of “counterintuitive” heart rate monitoring and why some people need to start with higher alert thresholds
Real-life examples of unexpected triggers (like showering, stairs, and bending) and how tiny tweaks made big differences
Using devices first to learn your boundaries, then turning down or off alerts to lean more on body awareness
How to decide if tech is right for you right now: What is it helping you change? Is it reducing crashes or just adding pressure?

Key Takeaways

Tech is optional: it’s the right tool for the right person, at the right time, in the right way.
The goal isn’t perfect data—it’s better awareness, steadier pacing, and fewer boom-and-bust crashes.

Links:
More about Robin: http://www.robinthephysio.co.uk 
Check out Part 1 of this discussion: 223 - Holistic Detective Work: Unpicking Breath, Pacing & Fatigue with Robin the Physio 

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Jackie is joined by Robin McNelis (Robin the Physio), a cardio‑respiratory physio and Long Covid specialist, who went from running marathons and leading hospital services to his own Long Covid recovery journey.
In this episode:
What happens when all your tests are “normal” but you’re clearly not.
Robin’s role as a “holistic detective” for complex breathing, fatigue and Long Covid cases.
How ideas from elite sport and marginal gains translate to people just trying to shower or get to the bathroom without crashing.
The reality of post‑Covid personal bests and why “small” wins matter.
A practical, compassionate look at pacing across physical, cognitive, emotional and social exertion, using the FITT principles.
Real‑life stories of patients reclaiming reading, hobbies and daily life through tiny, well‑timed adjustments.
This is Part 1 of the conversation - hear part 2 for more on pacing, heart rate, breathing, and tools to support recovery.

Links:
More about Robin: http://www.robinthephysio.co.uk

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**