Pulmonary Rehab: How It Can Improve Lung Function

People diagnosed with lung conditions find that pulmonary rehab can make a real difference to their health and wellbeing. Rehab can ease conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, and breathlessness.

The following is for information purposes only. Make sure that you see your doctor if you have pulmonary and lung conditions.  

What Is Done In Pulmonary Rehab?

Pulmonary rehabilitation begins with a personalized assessment of your needs, abilities, medical history, and overall health. This is to ensure that trained medical practitioners can formulate a rehab program to suit your personal health situation.

This rehab involves physical therapy and breathing exercises to reduce symptoms of breathlessness. It improves your muscle strength and teaches you how to use oxygen more efficiently to reduce breathlessness.

Moreover, it also helps you understand and manage shortness of breath in a supportive environment.

Elderly women getting pulmonary rehab to improve her lungs function

Rehab will help you do everyday activities with greater ease, such as walking further and lifting things with more confidence. Pulmonary rehab can boost your independence and give you greater ability to do the activities you love doing.

Physical Therapy

Staying active and following a tailored exercise regime has many benefits for the whole body, including the lungs. Supervised, gentle exercise can improve how your body uses oxygen, and ease symptoms of chronic lung conditions.

Breathlessness can be frightening and debilitating. Physical therapy can give you the confidence to gradually do more and feel more independent. Also physical therapists monitor your progress and ensure you stay safe as you exercise.

During pulmonary rehab, therapists will also teach you positions to help you recover from breathlessness. This can make all the difference to your safety and wellbeing while exercising or doing other tasks.

Breathing Techniques In Pulmonary Rehab

Sometimes our breathing habits are unhelpful and can even exacerbate breathlessness. During pulmonary rehab, medical professionals teach you breathing techniques to help you manage your lung condition.

Practitioners assess your current breathing patterns and give you gentle encouragement and support to hone new techniques. Breathing exercises help strengthen the breathing muscles, allowing more oxygen into your body, and helping you breathe more easily.

Techniques such as pursed-lip breathing, paced breathing, and diaphragmatic breathing are a key part of pulmonary rehab. They also serve as coping mechanisms, helping to calm you down when you start to feel out of breath.

Medical staff at Fairview Rehab & Nursing Home in Queens NY deal with lung conditions such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and bronchiectasis. Our respiratory care regime includes both out- and in-patient physical therapy and emotional support in a friendly setting for you or your loved ones.

The pulmonary rehab therapy we provide can make a huge difference to the quality of patients’ lives.

This article contains informational and educational materials and does not replace health or medical advice. For questions or concerns regarding your medical condition or health objectives, speak to a qualified physician or healthcare provider.