If you suffer from shortness of breath due to a lung problem, you would always have concerns like:
”Can I exercise? Or should I avoid exercising as it makes me short of breath every time?”
“How can I improve my physical fitness and gain more stamina/ energy as even minimal exercising leaves me breathless?”
“What medications do I need to take?”
The one solution to all these problems is Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
A comprehensive treatment programme for effective management of lung diseases through exercise and education, pulmonary rehabilitation can help people with respiratory problems live a normal, active life.
Aster Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme
The pulmonary rehabilitation offered the Department of Pulmonology is a comprehensive programme that combines exercise and education for effective management of long-term lung conditions/ diseases in people of all ages.
This programme will help:
Manage your respiratory problem
Increase your stamina/ energy
Decrease breathlessness.
Empower you to take charge of your breathing rather than your breathing problems being in charge of you
Learn how to pace/control breathing according to your activities
Right way to take medications
Led by a team of highly experienced Pulmonologists and Rehabilitation experts, the custom-created exercise sessions will be supervised by Pulmonary Rehabilitation professionals. The exercises will start at a level that you can handle (sitting or on treadmill). The amount of time you exercise will increased gradually, and the difficulty levels will be altered based on your ability. As your muscles get stronger, you will become more active, less tired and less breathless.
What is the duration of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme?
The duration of the rehabilitation programme will depend on your medical condition and specific needs.
The programme will be divided into sessions.
All sessions are mandatory, as the rehabilitation team need to monitor your progress constantly and increase the intensity of the exercises.
The Aster Pulmonary Rehabilitation starts with a 4-week session (one session are twice every week ) and will continue for 8 to10 weeks.
You will be evaluated thoroughly by a Pulmonologist to ensure that you do not have any other health issue which does not allow you to join the programme.
Once the programme begins, a team of professionals including Pulmonologists, Respiratory Therapists, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Dieticians, Nurses and social workers will work with you to improve your breathing problem and manage your respiratory problems.
The programme will offer only limited participation to ensure personalised care and attention.
What will I learn in the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme?
The programme will be a combination of exercise and education to promote better understanding and effective management of respiratory diseases.
The education part will be conducted in classrooms.
There will also be one-on-sessions with the rehabilitation professionals during the exercise sessions.
There will also be group meetings in which you can learn new ways to breathe while you are stressed or active.
You can practice these new breathing techniques during your exercise sessions.
There are standard exercises that are effective in people with breathing problems.
The type, intensity and duration of exercises will depend on what you can do. The intensity of exercises will increase as you get stronger.
Exercise sessions will begin with stretching exercises or warm ups, followed by arm and leg exercises.
You will need to do exercises that build your strength as well as endurance or stamina.
Millions of patients across the world with respiratory problems have benefitted from such programmes. Patients can actually feel change from within – they can exercise, not short of breath as frequently and are able to live a better, active life.
