What is Cardiac Rehabilitation | Physiotherapy
What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation, or cardiac rehab, is a service that aims to reduce the risk of complications in people with heart conditions. It typically involves exercises, education about topics such as diet, and stress management techniques.
The goal is to:
- improve the person’s health and quality of life
- prevent further problems
- reduce the chances of needing to return to the hospital for heart-related issues
- Cardiac rehabilitation is an important program for anyone recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, or other heart problem that required surgery or medical care. Cardiac rehabilitation is a supervised program that includes:
- Physical activity.
- Education about healthy living, including how to eat healthily, take medicine as prescribed, quit smoking, and drink.
- Counseling to find ways to relieve stress and improve mental health.
- Comprehensive treatment program to prevent future heart problems.
- About a third of the senior citizens have been diagnosed with hypertension, which leads to chronic heart disease and eventually tends to stroke
- Physical inactivity is linked to low levels of physical fitness and is considered a major and independent risk factor in the development and progression of Cardiac heart disease.
- The more physically active an individual, the greater their level of fitness and the lower their risk of developing CHD.
- Workers who were less physically active in their job suffered more heart attacks than more active workers The importance of the relationship between physical activity, physical fitness, cardiovascular health, and survival has been well established by epidemiological research...
- Men who had a more active lifestyle and participated in the high intensive exercise at least twice a week reduced their risk of developing CHD by up to one-third.
- World Health Organization(WHO), India accounts for one-fifth of these deaths worldwide, especially in the younger population. The results of the Global Burden of Disease study state an age-standardized CVD death rate of 272 per 100000 population in India which is much higher than the global average of 235
WHAT DO CARDIAC PHYSIOTHERAPISTS DO
The cardiac physiotherapist assesses each aspect of your functioning; strength, joint motion, respiratory capacity, and endurance to enable you to perform an exercise regime that will reduce your risk of a further or an initial cardiac event. In cardiac rehabilitation, a physiotherapist with training and experience plays a crucial role. Involving a therapist can have several important benefits, including:
- It ensures compliance by the patients by helping them remain consistent in the physiotherapy program.
- The therapist will conduct a thorough assessment of your condition based on your age, the severity of the condition, and your medical reports and design a customized plan for you. This helps patients in healing faster.
- Having a physiotherapist who develops an outcome-based therapy program is more beneficial as compared to self-developed programs.
- The presence of a physiotherapist eases the transition of a patient from the hospital to her/his home during the various phases of physiotherapy. The therapist educates you about each exercise and assesses your comfortability levels with each of them.
- She/he will begin the exercise program keeping in mind your health condition and the risk factors. This ensures your safety to a great extent.
- Having a therapist relieves your caregivers who may or may not be trained in physiotherapy and undergoing stress while trying to manage your treatment
The primary goals of this specialty include increasing endurance and functional independence. prescribe an exercise regime for you to help control blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight management
PHASES OF CARDIAC REHABILITATION-
Inpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation- It takes place while you are still at the hospital. Your cardiac therapist will work hand-in-hand with you and recommend an exercise program and other activities.
Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation- It is a continued rehabilitation program after you have been discharged from the hospital. This program is fully-monitored and designed to help you safely build your tolerance for various activities and enhance your heart’s strength, allowing you to return to your daily tasks.
Long-term Maintenance Cardiac Rehabilitation- It is done after completion of the outpatient program. To maintain good heart health, it is important to continue with other programs that promote physical fitness, cardiovascular health, and a healthy lifestyle.
WHICH EXERCISES HELP IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION
Depending on your condition, your physiotherapy treatment may include:
- Deep Breathing Exercises: to prevent lung infection and collapse, and to encourage increased lung volumes.
- Breathing Control Exercises: to optimize athletic performance.
- Bed, Chair, and Standing Exercises: to prevent deep vein thrombosis (clots). Ongoing Fitness Program: Tailored exercises to help you maintain your mobility and fitness.
- Hands-on Techniques and Breathing Facilitation Exercises: to expand your lung capacity.
- Thoracic Assessment and Mobilisations: to increase lung capacity Percussions and Vibrations: to help you loosen secretions and make coughing easier.
- Coughing and Breathing Strategies: to help you cough and manage your shortness of breath
- Breathing and Circulation Exercises: to prevent further respiratory and vascular complications such as chest infection and deep venous thrombosis (DVTs)
- Mobility Assistance: to move safely in bed, sit up, stand and walk
- Mobility Aids: advice, prescription, and instruction on how to safely use a walking frame or other walking aids as required
- Individually Tailored Exercises: to control your breathing pattern, build muscle strength and endurance, and improve your general health and wellbeing.
WHICH EXERCISES HELP IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION
Anyone who has had a heart problem, such as a heart attack, heart failure, or heart surgery, can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation. Studies have found that cardiac rehabilitation helps men and women, people of all ages, and people with mild, moderate, and severe heart problems. This applies to those whose medical history includes:
Cardiomyopathy
COPD
Post-Covid
Pulmonary hypertension
Peripheral artery disease
Certain congenital heart diseases
Angioplasty and stents
Coronary artery disease
Heart attack and heart failure
Chest pain (angina)
Heart valve repair or replacement
Heart or lung transplant
Heart attack
Heart failure
Atrial fibrillation
Cardiac surgery Pots
Cardiac stenting
BENEFITS OF CARDIAC REHABILITATION
Through cardiac rehab, you can take the first few steps towards not only a healthier heart but also a healthier lifestyle in general. Through this program, you can:
- Reduce the risk factors of heart disease
- Increase your physical activity level, improve your heart’s functional capacity, and enhance your cardiovascular fitness
- Learn more about how to live a healthy lifestyle and reduce the risk of a future cardiac event
- Manage your weight better
- Recover and return to your day-to-day tasks faster
HOW CAN WCH HELP YOU
- With WCH, you will receive world-class medical care at home that is both affordable and accessible.
- We provide healthcare services such as lab testing, medical equipment rentals, and doctor consultations. Physiotherapy at home for cardiac rehabilitation is one of the most important services.
SOME OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE BRING TO YOU INCLUDE:
- To help you heal faster, our physiotherapists use the latest techniques of physiotherapy such as electrotherapy, hydrotherapy, biomechanics, manual therapy, etc
- WCH offers one-stop solutions for all your physiotherapy needs. More importantly, therapy plans are customized for each patient based on the patient's needs.
- To avoid injuries and overexertion, therapists educate patients regarding the risk factors associated with the various types of exercise, helping them avoid worsening their symptoms and health problems.
- The therapists at our facility are trained, professional, and experienced. Each one has undergone intensive screening procedures before being selected. In this way you will assure the level of care that you receive is of the highest standard.
- Healing can be done at home, where you're most comfortable. As a result, you don't have to travel, risk injuries due to falls, and save money.
- Physiotherapy from WCH assures you of consistent care that is inaccessible if you design your exercise programs.
- The physiotherapy plans we offer are affordable for all sections of society
