Pulmonary Rehabilitation

What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?

When you have a long-term lung condition you can find it difficult to move around or do your normal activities without getting breathless. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a programme of exercise and education designed to help you cope with your breathlessness and feel stronger and fitter at the same time.

What does it involve?

Participants attend twice weekly group sessions for six weeks. Sessions include education and supervised exercise. Exercises are tailored to your ability that you can do at your own pace. You will have the support from specialist staff: Physiotherapists, Therapy Assistants and Exercise Instructors.

You will learn about:

• Your chronic lung condition

• The benefits of exercise

• Breathing techniques to manage breathlessness

• Chest clearance techniques

• Managing your medication

• Relaxation techniques

• Pacing and energy conservation

• Keeping active and exercising beyond the programme

Benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Regular attendance is important to help you achieve your goals and feel the benefits of attending the programme.

There is therefore an expectation that you will attend every session and follow a daily home exercise plan to gain maximum benefits from the course.

At the end of the programme you should:

• Be more independent and active

• Feel more in control of your breathing

• Find it easier to carry out daily tasks

• Feel stronger

• Have more stamina

• Feel motivated and confident to keep exercising

How do I get referred to Pulmonary Rehabilitation?

You will need to be referred by your local G.P, Respiratory Nurse Specialist, Respiratory Consultant or other Allied Health Professional.

Following a triage call from the team, you will be invited to attend for an assessment session with a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Physiotherapist at a clinic location.

Assessment

The assessment session will determine you are safe to do the exercises in the class.

The assessment usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour.

The Physiotherapist will:

• Ask you about your history of chest problems/s and any relevant medical conditions

• Ask about medications

• Measure your blood pressure, oxygen levels and heart rate

• Auscultate (listen) to your chest

The therapist will ask you to perform a short walking exercise to determine your current exercise level. They will also ask you to complete some questionnaires to assess how your breathing affects your daily life and set some goals for what you want to achieve from Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

These will be repeated at the end of the programme.

You will then be invited to attend the next class cohort when available at the venue of your choice. You will also be given an exercise plan to do at home.

It may be the class is not the most suitable option for you at the time of assessment, alternatives will be discussed and agreed with you.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Class Venues

In East Cheshire there are two venues where you can do Pulmonary Rehabilitation:

Macclesfield Leisure Centre: Tuesday 2-4pm & Friday 2-3pm.

Congleton Leisure Centre: Monday 2.30-4.30pm & Thursday 2.30-3.30pm

Classes are twice week. One session will last approximately 2 hours with one-part supervised exercise and one part education. The second session will be 1 hour of supervised exercise.

The group is friendly and supportive and you are encouraged and to work at your own pace. You will be supported and supervised by our Pulmonary Rehabilitation team. Your progress will be closely monitored over the 12 sessions.

After the last session, you will have a discharge assessment at a clinic location. The initial assessment questionnaires and walk test will be repeated.

Useful Information for your class:

Clothing: Please wear suitable exercise clothing and footwear

Medication: Please bring your inhalers and any other medication that you require.

If you have ambulatory oxygen prescribed, please bring it to every session.

Refreshments: It is important to drink fluid when exercising, please bring a bottle of water with you.

Support: A family member or friend is welcome to accompany you if you wish

Transport: You will need to arrange your own transport to the classes. If transport is a problem, please talk to your Physiotherapist.

Contacting Us: If you require further information or have any queries you can contact us via: telephone: 01625 663373 or email: ecn-tr.prtherapyreferral@nhs.net.