Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary rehabilitation is an eight-week evidence-based exercise and education program designed to teach patients with lung disease skills to manage their breathlessness, to stay well and stay out of hospital.
What are the benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
- Reduced shortness of breath
- Increased functional capacity
- A reduction in exacerbations/hospital admissions
- Improved Quality of Life (1).
How does our programme differ?
The Breathing Works Pulmonary Rehabilitation programme consists of:
- An initial one on one consultation and assessment with one of our physiotherapists.
- Twice weekly 60 minute exercise classes performed online from home.
- During one of the weekly sessions there will also be a 30 minute education session, covering topics such as chest clearance/breathing techniques, correct use of medication, healthy eating, and energy conservation.
All of the exercise classes can be performed in a patient’s home, using basic exercise equipment. The education component assists patients to manage their condition by providing knowledge and better understanding of key topics.
We also offer participants the option to undertake an inspiratory muscle training (IMT) program using a POWERBreathe device. The benefits of IMT have been demonstrated in the maintenance phase of Pulmonary Rehabilitation (2).
One of the benefits of the online format is that patients will be able to enrol for consecutive courses, acting as a maintenance programme for those who wish to continue long term.
Interested in being involved or know someone who might be?
Our Pulmonary Rehabilitation is suitable for patients with mild to moderate lung disease, who do not require home oxygen. Basic technology competence and access to Zoom is required by each individual for successful participation.
The cost is $99 for the initial face to face assessment and the 8-week online programme. Patients can be referred by GP’s, specialist physicians or surgeons, physiotherapists, nurses, and community health professionals. Patients can also self-refer into the programme.
References:
(1). Alison, J. A., McKeough, Z. J., Johnston, K., McNamara, R. J., Spencer, L. M., Jenkins, S. C., Hill, C. J., McDonald, V. M., Frith, P., Cafarella, P., Brooke, M., Cameron-Tucker, H. L., Candy, S., Cecins, N., Chan, A. S., Dale, M. T., Dowman, L. M., Granger, C., Halloran, S., Jung, P., … Lung Foundation Australia and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (2017). Australian and New Zealand Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines. Respirology (Carlton, Vic.), 22(4), 800–819. https://doi.org/10.1111/resp.13025
(2). Ammous, O., Feki, W., Lotfi, T., Khamis, A. M., Gosselink, R., Rebai, A., & Kammoun, S. (2023). Inspiratory muscle training, with or without concomitant pulmonary rehabilitation, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 1(1), CD013778. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013778.pub