Pulmonary Rehabilitation Health Article

Description

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary, comprehensive program of education, exercise, and behavior modification, individually designed for patients with such lung diseases as COPD. COPD includes such conditions as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which can be progressive and life-threatening. Other chronic lung conditions that may be suitable for pulmonary rehabilitation include cystic fibrosis, asthma, bronchiectasis, and environmental lung disease, as well as such neuromuscular disorders as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.

The rehabilitation program is designed to help patients learn more about their condition and how to manage its symptoms, as well as to take active steps, such as smoking cessation, oxygen use, and exercise, in order to improve their level of physical functioning; stop the progression of the disease as much as possible; and learn how to better live with the condition. Improved physical functioning, reduction in physical and psychological symptoms, and ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) more easily and independently, can contribute to improved quality of life.

A typical program, which is individually designed but involves group participation, may last up to three hours per session, a few days each week. Programs generally last a few weeks to a few months, and prepare the patient to continue exercise, symptom management, and other skills learned in the program on their own. An in-home follow-up program may also be included. Patients may participate in rehabilitation as inpatients or outpatients, and will also be encouraged to exercise on their own at home if it is safe for them to do so without monitoring. Some insurance companies cover all or part of the rehabilitation program.

The two main components of the daily program are exercise and education. Exercise is important for maintaining or improving muscle strength, endurance and overall fitness, which may have declined due to inactivity and symptoms of the disease. Decreased physical activity and associated decline in fitness play a large part in causing the physical limitations associated with COPD. A regular exercise program can improve overall fitness and energy, and make performance of ADLs easier.

The exercise program is individually prescribed to meet the physical needs of each patient, and includes a warm-up and cool-down period, and aerobic activity. The warm-up and cool-down periods may include stretching and light strength or resistance training. Exercises involving upper and lower extremities are important for overall fitness and for improvement in function during specific activities. For example, lower body exercise helps with ambulation, stair climbing, and general fitness; and conditioning of the arms facilitates improved functioning in many tasks that require arm and upper body use, such as grooming, cooking, and household