What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Pulmonary rehabilitation consists of exercises and educational programmes designed to help patients with lung disease improve their physical and psychological wellbeing.
The programme is led by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
How Can You Benefit From the Programme?
Patients with the following chronic lung diseases will benefit from the programme:
- Asthma
- Bronchiectasis
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Interstitial Lung Disease
As a result of these conditions, you may experience reduced exercise tolerance (the amount of exercise you can endure before feeling breathless and tired.
If left unaddressed, these conditions may also lead to decreased ability in performing activities of daily living (e.g. walking, showering, eating) and higher breathlessness at rest.
Exercise helps to strengthen your muscles and increase your endurance, which breaks the cycle of inactivity.
Education helps to improve the understanding of your condition, which enables you to better self-manage lung diseases.
What Happens During the Programme?
A physiotherapist will lead the exercise portion of the programme. After obtaining a referral from your doctor’s visit, you will receive the following:
- A fitness test and assessment
- Home exercise plan as prescribed by your physiotherapist
- Advice on proper breathing techniques
- Advice on proper airway clearance techniques if applicable
After the first assessment, your physiotherapist may suggest a few options for you to keep to your exercise plan. All options include customised exercise trainings that may be in the following formats:
- Exercise classes with healthcare professionals on-site at:
- Clinic B1C Physiotherapy gym or
- Day Rehabilitation Centre in the community
- Exercise classes in your own home via Telehealth platforms (online/video call) with healthcare professionals
What Can You Expect?
Our team will work together with you throughout your rehabilitation journey to achieve the following:
- Lesser respiratory symptoms
- More self-management and control over your daily activities
- Improvement in your fitness level
- Greater independence in your daily activities
- Improved emotional well-being
- Reduced hospitalisation episodes
How Long Do You Need to Commit to the Programme?
- The amount of time taken to complete a programme varies based on your needs
- A full programme consists of 8 to 10 weeks of exercise sessions and two assessments
- It is important that you attend every session as the physiotherapist needs to constantly monitor and increase your exercises as you progress along the way
What Happens After You Finish the Programme?
- The programme does not end here and you should continue practicing what you have learned in your daily life
- It is important that you continue with your home exercises to maintain the benefits from your pulmonary rehabilitation programme
- You may also consider joining an exercise class in the community to continue another cycle of exercise programme to keep active
How Do You Join a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme?
- A physician referral is required for your to join a rehabilitation programme
- Kindly inform your doctor, nurse or physiotherapist if you are interested to join a rehabilitation programme
- You may contact us to find out more
