Outpatient rehabilitation of your Heart and/or Lungs, or Cardiac-Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a sub-acute personalized Outpatient Physical Therapy program of exercise and education. Cardiac-Pulmonary Rehabilitation is designed to help you safely improve your heart and lung function and help you recover from any form of heart and/or lung issues.
It has been proven very beneficial to your overall health, vitality and longevity to continue Stage-3 in a specialized Outpatient Physical Therapy Practice after you complete your acute Stage-1 and Stage-2 rehabilitation in the hospital. After completing this most important Stage-3, you need to positively choose for the final Stage-4. Stage-4 is where you independently, or with the help of a personal trainer build on your gained abilities. Your experiences in Stage-3 will prepare you for your management of Stage-4.
Phase-3 of your Cardiac-Pulmonary Rehabilitation protocol involves the most important development of a specific independent exercise program, unlike the general group exercises so far experienced in Stage-2. Your Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) will guide your treatment-to-treatment progress during this Phase-3 to help you increase your exercise tolerance. Increasing your exercise tolerance will be the result of improving your heart and lung capability through cardiovascular and strength conditioning. Your DPT will also monitor, and coach you, in regards cardiac and/or pulmonary changes that you should read as warning signs. As you become independent with your program during the finalization of Phase-3 of your Cardiac-Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, your physical therapist can help tailor a program of exercises, including aerobic, strength and flexibility exercises.
Which cardiac and pulmonary conditions benefit from Cardiac-Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
- Cardiac Conditions
- Angina / Chest Pain
- Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarct)
- Heart surgery like:
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
- Valve surgery
- Angioplasty or stent placement
- Congenital heart disease
- Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Pulmonary Conditions
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Chronic bronchitis
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Post Pulmonary Embolus / Deep Vein Thrombosis (PE/DVT)
- Inflammation of the lungs
- Lung tumors / Post-tumor treatment
- Neuromuscular disease affecting breathing