Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary Rehabilitation is recommended for individuals suffering from lung disease who have frequent episodes of difficulty in breathing, which hampers their daily activities. People suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) benefit the most from this program. It is also beneficial for people suffering from lung diseases like asthma, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer and cystic fibrosis.

A pulmonary rehabilitation program can be done in a hospital or at home after learning the breathing exercises. The program has 2-3 sessions per week and the entire program can last for several weeks or months depending on individual requirements. The healthcare team performs a few tests before designing a customized pulmonary rehabilitation program. These include exercise stress test, breathing tests and walking tests to check how well the lungs are functioning.

A pulmonary rehabilitation program includes the following:

• Breathing techniques
  Specific techniques such as pursed lip breathing and yoga breathing help in controlling breathing when under physical or emotional stress.
• Exercise training
  It aims to build stamina and strengthen muscles.
• Education
  This helps creating awareness about lung diseases and ways to prevent them. It explains about the signs of a flare up and how to manage the condition.
• Counselling
  Psychological counselling is required for people suffering from chronic lung diseases that cause anxiety and depression.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation is generally a three-phased program.

• Phase 1
  This is done when the patient is in hospital. It consists of oxygen therapy, breathing exercises, nebulization and postural drainage. This is followed by light exercise and walking.
• Phase 2
  This is an outpatient program that lasts for 10-12 weeks. It is a slightly intensive program conducted after stabilization of early symptoms. This phase includes aerobic exercise, stress management, behavioral modification and nutritional advice. All this is done under the supervision of trained staff.
• Phase 3
  This phase is the Maintenance phase designed to be done individually at home. Patients are expected to continue the exercise program with minimal medical supervision.

Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Indore has the best Pulmonary Rehabilitation program that has dedicated areas for oxygen therapy, nebulisation and telemetric ECG monitored exercise systems like treadmill, ergo cycles, stepper and cross trainer. Patients also have access to a gymnasium for resistance training classes and a laboratory for lung function testing.