Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?

An education and exercise program for patients with chronic lung disease. Our Rehabilitation Program at Brunswick pulmonary combines education, exercise endurance, and emotional support for our patients. Our goal is to improve your quality of life and help restore your lung function to its highest possible level.

Goals:

  • Improve your physical condition
  • Improve your tolerance to exercise
  • Decrease symptoms and complications from lung disease
  • Reduce exacerbations of COPD
  • Increase self-esteem
  • Decrease hospitalizations
  • Help you gain control of your daily life

Primary Objectives of Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services:

  • To control, reduce, and alleviate the symptoms and pathophysiologic complications of chronic pulmonary disease
  • To train the patient how to reach the highest possible level of independent functioning for his or her activities of daily living within the limitations of the pulmonary disease
  • To train the patient to self-manage his or her daily living consistent with the pulmonary disease process to obtain the highest possible level of independent function.

Every Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is individualized for a specific patient’s needs and should include a comprehensive initial evaluation, established goals, an explicit treatment plan consisting of specific modalities with the stated frequencies, anticipated duration, and periodic re-assessments at scheduled intervals.

The Ideal Candidate for Pulmonary Rehabilitation is one with moderate to moderately severe disease, stable on standard medical therapy, not distracted or limited by other serious or unstable medical conditions, willing and able to learn about his or her disease, and motivated to devote the time and effort necessary to benefit from a comprehensive care program. Patients with very mild disease may not perceive their problem as severe enough to warrant a comprehensive care program, and patients with very severe disease may be too limited to benefit appreciably. Pulmonary rehabilitation is not a primary mode of therapy for obstructive airway disease; therefore, patients should be stabilized on standard medical therapy before beginning the program.