Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

The Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program at North Shore Medical Center uses a team approach to patient care. A pulmonologist serves as the program’s medical director, and our respiratory and physical therapists and nurse counselors are all specially trained. Pulmonary rehabilitation benefits people who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and individuals needing lung surgery, before or after surgery.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Individual treatment plans are established following a careful evaluation of a patient’s abilities and needs, and include the following:

Education

Education topics include: how lungs work, what is lung disease, oxygen therapy, breathing retraining, exercise guidelines, medications, healthy eating, energy conservation, environmental hazards, smoking cessation, and relaxation techniques.

Exercise Training

Under careful monitoring by a respiratory and physical therapist, patients participate in anaerobic segment where they use various conditioning equipment at a level tailored to their abilities. They might use a treadmill, stationary bike or rower to do exercises. They also use resistance equipment on a series of slow-paced exercises, which assists them in strengthening their muscles.

Support

In addition to exercise training, support of given to patients to help them dispel the emotional stresses common to lung disease. Support may be provided through patient education programs, meeting with a nurse counselor or through a group support setting. Patients are counseled about depression and anxiety, taught relaxation skills, and learn the importance of giving and receiving emotional support from others.