Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
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(321) 841-4194Pulmonary Rehabilitation program at Orlando Health is a comprehensive approach that is designed to meet the special needs of people with chronic lung disease through an individualized regimen of exercise, education, breathing retraining and behavioral intervention to improve functional capacity and enhance quality of life in patients with limited lung function. Any person with a chronic lung disease may benefit from Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The pulmonary exercise program lasts for 10-12 weeks.
Pulmonary rehabilitation may lead to significant clinical improvement by
Our specialized Pulmonary Rehabilitation team works with each patient individually to establish and reach goals towards a healthier future. Our team begins with an initial evaluation followed by the development of a personalized plan of care. A series of personalized education and supervised exercise sessions help each participant work towards reaching their goal.
Your healthcare team will include doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical and occupational therapists, dietitians or nutritionists, and psychologists or social workers. Participants must receive approval from their primary physician before starting the program.
In order to develop a safe program the pulmonary rehabilitation staff conducts an evaluation that includes a medical history and physical examination.
To help design your pulmonary rehabilitation plan, your healthcare team may do the following tests:
Exercise stress test to measure your oxygen level, blood pressure, and heart rate while you exercise.
Pulmonary function tests to check your breathing.
Six-minute walk test to measure oxygen level and distance you can walk in six minutes.
Exercise includes stationary bicycles, treadmills, recumbent steppers, bicycle arm ergometers and free weights. Each exercise session begins with a group warm-up, individualized pulmonary conditioning, weight training and a cool-down. You are monitored to ensure your physical well-being and, based on your progress, your exercise prescription will be updated weekly.
Breathing strategies such as pursed lip breathing, yoga breathing, or breathing with computer-aided feedback.
Exercise benefits and techniques aim to strengthen your back, arms, and legs, as well as the muscles you use to breathe.
Symptoms assessment and management.
Oxygen therapy based on lung function and oxygen requirement.
Diet and nutrition counseling, you will learn what foods to eat and how to prepare meals to manage your condition and feel your best.
Psychosocial interventions involve counseling and feedback for the depression, anxieties, and fear that hinder the patient’s full participation in activities.
The program includes lectures and discussions that help participants understand the nature of chronic lung disease and the role that behavior plays in maximizing independence and physical capabilities.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a series of two to three sessions a week, each each session lasts one and a half hours for a total of 8-12 weeks.
At the end of your program, your healthcare team will give you tests to assess your lung function again to see if your breathing has improved. Some of these tests, such as exercise tests, will be the same ones you had at the start of your program.
Advanced program offered to participants who have completed Phase I and II. It is very important to continue to exercise after finishing rehabilitation program or you will lose all of the benefits gained. This medically-supervised exercise program last approximately one hour, so participant can continue to exercise with others with breathing problems.
The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program participates with Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs, PPOs and most private insurance companies. The pulmonary rehabilitation coordinator can tell if you qualify and what the cost to you will be.
Please check with your insurance provider about coverage.
