Pulmonary Rehabilitation and pulmonary physiotherapy (includes chest physiotherapy) help patients in recovery from shortness of breath, dyspnea, breathing problem and maintain healthy lungs specially after a lung disease. In order to offer better support in current circumstances, ReLiva has made available pulmonary rehabilitation in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai at several of its Physiotherapy centers in India. This means that if you are in one of these cities then it is likely for you to find pulmonary rehabilitation near you. Here is all about pulmonary rehabilitation and how, why and where you should take pulmonary rehabilitation.
Breathing and Oxygen has garnered limelight in the year 2021 like never before given the recent circumstances with the disease posing lung infection, erratic supply of oxygen support in hospitals in India, rising pollution level and modern lifestyle. The factor that binds them all is lung infection eventually leading to shortness of breath, dyspnea, pneumonia, emphysema, pulmonary embolism and difficulty breathing: all in all, a lung disease causing lung fibrosis that negatively affects the lung function of the patient. Physiotherapist are working relentlessly to support patient recovery in hospitals, after hospital discharge and during home isolation. Based on the frequently asked questions, we bring to you all about Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a treatment program for lungs. It provides:
- exercise training, (chest physiotherapy)
- education about lung disease,
- tips on how to complete everyday activities without shortness of breath and
- advice on how to live better with your disease.
Who needs Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for patients with lung disease who experience shortness of breath frequently and are not able to perform daily activities despite daily use of medication. These would commonly include patients with lung infection and lung diseases, namely:
- Patients discharged after prolonged hospitalisation1
- Those recovering in home isolation due to the highly contagious viral disease1
- Those diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 2,3
- Those with pulmonary fibrosis 2,3,4
Pulmonary rehabilitation is especially helpful for patients with low oxygen saturation levels. Those with Oxygen saturation (SpO2 between 88 and 95) can enroll for online pulmonary rehab program and begin to recover at home. Others may choose to visit a pulmonary rehabilitation center near them or ask for home visit.
Patient experiences with Pulmonary Rehabilitation:
Click to read what Dr Kshetrapal is saying about her mother who has Pulmonary Fibrosis taking pulmonary rehabilitation based treatment.
Click to read Mr Chothani talk about how his father can now stay without Oxygen support
What is done in Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Physiotherapists trained in pulmonary function, or chest physiotherapy are specially trained to run the pulmonary rehab for patients of lung disease. They use specialized physiotherapy techniques, breathing exercises, education & awareness and dyspnea relieving positions to help people cope with lung conditions and related symptoms.
What does Pulmonary Rehab include?
A Physiotherapist would usually include one or many of the following in your Pulmonary Rehabilitation program depending upon the severity and extent of your symptoms:
- Postural Drainage (P.D.)
- Clapping and Shaking to loosen and move the secretions
- Breathing exercises
- Posture Correction for optimal chest relaxation
- Thoracic mobility exercises to prevent kyphosis
- Improve exercise tolerance while practicing breathing control
Pulmonary Rehab in hospital focuses on intensive care with chest physiotherapy and therefore differs vastly from pulmonary rehabilitation at home where physiotherapists focus on more holistic recovery of the patient’s health to resume activities of daily living (ADL).
Why Pulmonary Rehabilitation Near me?
If you have or suspect a lung disease affecting your lungs function or experiencing problem breathing, then you should consider pulmonary rehabilitation immediately. Given the symptoms of shortness of breath and problem breathing due to intrinsic lung disease, very often patient is not supposed to and/or is unable to step out of the house. This makes it imperative that they find pulmonary rehabilitation center nearby which is easy to visit regularly to complete rehabilitation program. (PR requires patients connect with physiotherapist on a daily or frequent basis.) Reliva has made available Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore at select ReLiva Physiotherapy centres. Locate Pulmonary Rehabilitation center in your city here.
If patient cannot find a pulmonary rehabilitation near them, they should enrol in an online pulmonary rehab program. This will ensure that they continue to follow their pulmonary rehabilitation at home in closed supervision of a physiotherapist without having to step out at all. ReLiva Physiotherapy offers a completely personalised and supervised online rehabilitation and recovery program that can be taken via video consultations. Physiotherapists use different tools for patient monitoring, exercise videos for home exercise demonstration and continued supervision for feedback and recovery of the patient. Click here to find about RespiRehab.
How long is Pulmonary Rehab?
Most PR programs need three to four sessions a week in the beginning and can go on for 4 to 12 weeks or more depending upon the severity of the symptoms. Your physiotherapist will advise on the estimated treatment sessions required after a thorough assessment of your symptoms in the first session. Because therapists are constantly monitoring your progress and increasing your exercises in accordance to your recovery, attending every session is important.
Find about RespiRehab program durations here
How do you do a Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Home?
Based on the symptoms, your physiotherapist may include different elements of Education sessions, breathing techniques, disease processes, oxygen therapy, exercise techniques, Exercise reconditioning sessions etc in your Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Acute conditions will require a physiotherapist to see you in person to perform certain maneuvers and techniques to relieve sputum and clear lungs. A home visit physiotherapist will perform these with you at home in the home settings that you live in. It helps the physiotherapist to get you mobile and adjust to the actual living conditions you face every day.
In less acute cases, like those discharged from hospital and relatively stable with Oxygen saturation level greater than 88 but less than normal, physiotherapist can conduct PR at home via online Respiratory Rehab. Online sessions with video consultations help patient complete their pulmonary rehabilitation with continued supervision and monitoring of their physiotherapist.
Is Pulmonary Rehab effective?
Varied studies have established the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with lung disease.2,3,4 People living with lung disease can benefit enormously if they receive proper treatment including Pulmonary rehabilitation: you may notice fewer breathing problems, more strength and an improved quality of life. PR specifically helps with the following:
- Improved exercise tolerance.
- Lessened perception of breathlessness.
- Improved quality of life.
- Reduced hospitalization time and hospitalizations per year.
- Decreased anxiety and depression.
- Improved arm function.
- Improved respiratory muscles (when combined with general exercises)
This means they can live better, have less pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue, a better quality of life and are more active and independent by simply learning to manage their condition properly.
Pulmonary experts at ReLiva Physiotherapy & Rehab can design a program specific to your lung condition and lifestyle and help you lead a better life with healthier lungs. Call us at (+91) 9920991584 or ask for call back and we will put you in touch with the concerned physiotherapist near you.
Online Pulmonary Rehab at your Home
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Scientific References:
1] Physiotherapy in Telerehabilitation Mode Improves Health Related Quality of Life and Functional Muscle Strength in COVID 19 Survivors: A Case Series; Karishma Daswani1 , Kavya Bhatia2; IJPOT: DOI, 2020
2] Nici L, Donner C, Wouters E, et al. ATS/ERS Pulmonary Rehabilitation Writing Committee American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement on pulmonary rehabilitation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2006;173(12):1390–1413. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
3] Ries AL, Bauldoff GS, Carlin BW, et al. Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Joint ACCP/AACVPR Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines. Chest. 2007;131(Suppl 5):4S–42S. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
4] Corhay JL, Dang DN, Van Cauwenberge H, Louis R. Pulmonary rehabilitation and COPD: providing patients a good environment for optimizing therapy. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2014;9:27–39. doi:10.2147/COPD.S52012
