Pulmonary Rehabilitation
What is pulmonary rehab?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is located within the Cardiopulmonary Department. The Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics pulmonary rehabilitation program offers Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III rehab. The goal of the program is to improve the quality of life for those suffering with pulmonary conditions. Pulmonary rehab focuses on the individual through monitored exercise to help patients improve their endurance levels. Patients walk away with a better understanding of their condition and how to manage it daily through energy conservation, breathing techniques, diet, and stress management.
Common diseases and conditions treated with pulmonary rehab include the following:
- COPD
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Asthma
Benefits of pulmonary rehab include the following:
- Improvement in exercise tolerance (demonstrated in six-minute walking distance)
- Improvement in dyspnea with activity
- Improvement in muscle strength and endurance
- Improvement in quality of life
How do I know if I need pulmonary rehabilitation?
- Are you short of breath when you walk a block?
- Are you short of breath when you bend, stoop, or need to carry an object?
- Is your breathing difficult when you become anxious?
- Do you find yourself staying home just because it’s too much effort to get ready to leave the house?
- Is it important for you to understand your lung condition and how to deal with it?
If you answered yes to two or more of the above questions, joining the pulmonary rehab program at Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics may be the solution to your breathing problems. Participants will meet three days a week for six to 10 weeks. A referral from your primary care provider or a pulmonologist is required.
Phase I, Phase II, & Phase III Rehab
The Carlinville Area Hospital & Clinics pulmonary rehab offers a Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III program.
Phase I is inpatient rehab. This phase begins with an inpatient hospital stay and includes a limited exercise program monitored by healthcare providers.
Phase II is a 12- to 18-week program that meets three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) for one-hour sessions. Phase II rehab requires a physician’s order to enroll. Phase II has two major components:
- Exercise training to help patients learn how to exercise safely, strengthen muscles, and increase endurance to improve their quality of life. The staff monitors the patients by watching their heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen concentration, and blood pressure to evaluate their tolerance to increased activity.
- Education, counseling, and support to help patients and their families understand their lung condition and find ways to reduce their shortness of breath and increase their quality of life. This also helps patients learn how to cope with the stress of adjusting to a new lifestyle and deal with fears about the future.
Phase III is a maintenance exercise program that continues to support lessons patients learned in Phase II. This is a more independent program, but patients will continue to be monitored periodically as needed.