Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program - Essay Example

Pulmonary rehabilitation program affiliation Message to audience Pulmonary rehabilitation is an important aspect that all in a community should be able to consider in saving lives. The processes that are involved in pulmonary rehabilitation are flexible and one that undergoes the rehabilitation is able to adapt to the conditions. The processes ensure that there is achievement of the goal of pulmonary rehabilitation and increases the lives of those with the condition. In undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation, there will be several benefits that one with the condition is likely to undergo including exercise benefits which keep the body safe and healthy. There are several factors that are considered in pulmonary rehabilitation. The components include exercise training, education, nutrition therapy and breathing techniques Objectives Pulmonary rehabilitation aims in reduction in the number of patients that suffer COPD. . Exercise training that is incorporated in the program is to enable keeping fit through upper body exercises and lower body exercises. This increases the strength of those with the condition. The program developed in the program enables understanding of treatment plan. This makes the program useful for those with the condition of COPD. Exercise training Exercise training is the foundation of pulmonary rehabilitation. There is urge that there is undertaking exercises to keep the body healthy. In pulmonary rehabilitation, Exercise training is based on general principles of exercise physiology that needs all that undergo the exercise are to carry out: intensity, specificity, and reversibility. As peripheral muscle weakness contributes to exercise limitation in patients with lung disease, strength training is a rational component of exercise training during PR (Braddom & Buschbacher, 2007). Hence, resistance training that involves the upper arms is also important as it enables the ability to carry out the ADL and some muscles of the upper-arm also serve as other muscles of respiration. This aspect is an essential in pulmonary rehabilitation. There are two types of exercise that are involved. Endurance is a component and exercise training which involve dynamic activities of large muscles which are performed three or four times in a week. This is with a consumption of less than 50% of maximum oxygen consumption (Braddom & Buschbacher, 2007). Endurance induces structural and physiological adaptation that provide the trained individual for performance of activities which are of high intensity. Lower extremely training is the mainstay that is used in endurance training but there is recommendation of incorporating more extreme training. The optimal training duration that is recommended is that which is greater than 30 minutes. The effect of sustainable training on capacity of exercise is dependent (Braddom & Buschbacher, 2007). Lower intensity training has been found to be as good as high intensity training in terms of improvement of quality of life. Intervals of training are also important s it gives benefit as continuous training. Strength training is another factor that is considered in exercises for pulmonary rehabilitation. Strength training has been considered a supplementary that can be used instead of endurance training. Strength training in pulmonary rehabilitation aims at improving respiratory muscles. Endurance is a component and exercise training which involves dynamic activities of large muscles which are performed three or four times in a week. The activities that are heavy and requires more strength. However the effect on symptoms and function limitation has not been well established. In the consideration the program is designed in a way that will incorporate exercise in the management routine to enable achieving the rehabilitation process and also keeping the body healthy. This calls for those with the condition to accept the program for their life improvement Education Education is another consideration that is done in pulmonary rehabilitation. The practice is integrated into virtually all programs. This makes the effects that it has in isolation not easily determined. There are benefits that are obtained from education in pulmonary rehabilitation including a better understanding of one on physical and psychological changes of chronic illness, increased skills in coping with the disease, better adherence to the plan used in treatment. In other sessions, there may be incorporation of breathing strategies, conservation of energy, work simplification and advance directives. With this approach, patients can become more collaborative in self-management and may develop better compliance. Furthermore, this intervention has been demonstrated to induce a reduction in dyspnea sensation. There are several factors that have been found to contribute to desensitization in this condition. Factors hypothesized to contribute to the desensitization is antidepressant effect of exercise and interaction that occur socially and prevention from dyspneic sensations that takes place during activities with a collection of patients who have the same condition (Heggestad, 2009). There can be the use of other inventions such as psychotherapy. Before the use of these inventions, there is need for more additional evidence for their effectiveness. Psychological and behavioral intervention COPD patients are always with morbidity that is due to depression, anxiety and difficulties that the patients have in coping with chronic diseases. There are several factors that are included in psychosocial and behavioral intervention. The interventions include educational sessions, or support given by groups with focus to specific problems such as management of stress or instructions that are given in progressive muscle relaxation, panic control and stress reduction (Braddom & Buschbacher, 2007). In addition, the approach improves adaptive behaviors, such as leaving smoking, better undertaking pharmacological and therapy of exercises, and realization and treatment of COPD exacerbations that occurred earlier. Management of self education has been given to facilitate the reduction in the use of healthcare services and costs among patients with moderate to severe COPD and a history of hospitalizations. Chest physical therapy and breathing techniques There are activities that are involved in this part of rehabilitation program. Chest physical therapy and techniques in breathing include improving clearance of mucus from airways and postural drainage. There is uncertainty of the value of this therapy on those with acute and stable COPD exacerbation. However, for patients who release more than 30 mililiters of sputum every day or in 24 hours or those who have problems with elimination of sputum, chest physical therapy together with postural drainage and effective techniques in coughing increases sputum expectoration; the real importance, though, has not been determined (Heggestad, 2009). There has been presentation of nonessential component of PR to be utilized in small percentage of patients with the condition of chronic respiratory disease who are affected by a market high secretion component. Nutrition intervention Nutritional therapy considers weight loss and wasting of muscles. This is present in about 20 to 35 percent of patients with stable COPD. The condition contributes to morbidity and mortality in COPD. Nutrition is considered in these people most so under the condition of increased activities and exercises that need a lot of energy expenditure. Undernourishment in those patients with chronic respiratory diseases is a poor indication. Nearly, 50% patients hospitalized with COPD are observed to suffer from inadequate protein and calorie in their nutrition. Progressive weight loss occurs mainly due to inadequate dietary intake, increased REE, failure of normal adaptive response to undernutrition and diet-induced thermogenesis. These mechanisms lead to energy imbalance and weight loss (Heggestad, 2009). Maintenance of adequate nutritional status by timely screening and appropriate management is essential. Obtaining optimal nutritional status in PR should help to maximize the patients state of health, respiratory muscle function, and overall sense of wellbeing; it also may improve disease outcome. Assessment of outcomes in pulmonary rehabilitation There has been significant progress in evaluation of outcomes in patient outcomes. Understanding the progress that is obtained requires careful examination. The programs that are put forward should not only determine the much the patients benefit from the rehabilitation but also identify the elements in the process that led to the benefits. Symptom evaluation should be done is assessing those with PR. Dyspnea and fatigue are complex and are the two main symptoms in pulmonary rehabilitation. In the process of assessing the conditions, it can be done in two ways; real time and through recall. Performance evaluation is a factor that is considered in PR. The accomplishment of this practice can be achieved through direct observation or through reports by the patients. There has been the emergence trend of evaluation of activities in a nonlaboratory setting. Exercise capacity is an assessment that can be achieved through activity monitors, field tests and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Cardiopulmonary activity testing can be increased to maximal symptom limitation or at a work rate which is constant. Quality of life evaluation has been described as a persons satisfaction or happiness with life in demands that the patient considers important and may be considered a balance between what is desired in life and what is achieved. References Braddom, R., & Buschbacher, R. (2007). Physical medicine & rehabilitation. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. Heggestad, J. (2009). Pulmonary health & rehabilitation and exercise testing. Los Angeles, Calif.: Academy Medical Systems. Read More