address your concerns. That’s why you should always let them know if you’re feeling any pain or having trouble carrying out an exercise.
What To Expect At Your Visits
If you’re enrolled in pulmonary rehabilitation, the team will assess you first so they can design a program for you. This assessment commonly entails an exercise stress test to measure your blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen level, breathing tests to gauge your lung function, and a short walk test to determine how far you can walk in six minutes.
Once your program is established, you can expect your visits to include breathing exercises, physical activity, and counseling sessions. It’s typical for you to require two to three weekly sessions but those can last for up to several months depending on your health.
In most cases, pulmonary rehabilitation must take place in a hospital or clinic. However, you may be able to do some of the breathing techniques on your own. It’s best to talk to your doctor about what will work best for you.
COPD is a chronic illness so you’ll be on a medication regimen for the rest of your life. However, there are benefits to complementing this care with pulmonary rehabilitation. By doing this, you can learn how to improve your quality of life while living with COPD.