For most people, breathing is automatic and something you don’t spend much time thinking about—unless you suffer from chronic pulmonary disease. There are many types of pulmonary diseases, most of which stem from chronic lung disease. If you suffer from emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, or interstitial lung disease, you probably have experienced the stress and anxiety that come from living with a chronic condition that affects your breathing and your life.
Except for transplant situations, damage to the lungs cannot be repaired. But there are ways to compensate. Pulmonary rehabilitation strengthens the rest of the body, so that your lungs don’t have to work so hard. Physical exercise optimizes your body’s ability to use the lung function that’s available and, equally as important, enhances mental and emotional well-being.
The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program includes up to 36 one-hour rehabilitation sessions. A physician referral is required, and a six-minute walk test or a cardiopulmonary stress test must be completed before beginning the program. In addition, you must have completed a pulmonary function test within one year prior to starting rehabilitation. These diagnostic tests assist the rehabilitation team in developing an exercise program that is specific to your needs and abilities.
We also offer a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Maintenance Program in which you can continue exercising a few times each week for a minimal fee.
CentraState’s comprehensive Pulmonary Rehabilitation program reduces the impact of pulmonary disease on your daily life. It helps to:
- Reduce shortness of breath and associated anxiety
- Increase exercise tolerance and the ability to perform normal daily activities
- Improve your ability to participate in physical and social activities
- Provide a better understanding of your disease and how to manage it
- Reduce the need for and frequency of hospitalization
- Improve your overall quality of life
CentraState’s specially-trained, experienced pulmonary rehabilitation team can help you overcome any fear of exercising by easing you into the appropriate exercise program and clearly establishing your individual limits. Fears eventually dissolve as you experience the benefits of exercise and your ability to improve your overall health.
The rehabilitation team conducts a support group dedicated to people with chronic pulmonary disease. Participants are able to share stories with others who are experiencing similar challenges, and obtain new information about managing their disease.
REQUIRED DIAGNOSTICS
Prior to starting pulmonary rehabilitation, you must have completed a pulmonary function test within the last year and recently completed a stress test or six-minute walk test.
Larry D.
Larry D.
Larry Donsky is known for cracking jokes and making people laugh, but when he suffered a heart attack last June, he got serious about his health with cardiac rehabilitation. Active in the men’s club of his adult community and the local Italian-American club, the 77-year-old Jackson resident regularly booked entertainers for club events. During one event, he was asked to...Read More >
Louise C.
Louise C.
Feeling in the peak of health, 65-year-old Louise Cassar of Jackson visited her primary care physician in early February 2013 for her annual physical exam. To her surprise, the electrocardiogram (EKG), a routine part of the exam, revealed a slight abnormality. Despite Louise having had no symptoms that would indicate a cardiac problem, her physician advised that she take this...Read More >
Vicky V.
Vicky V.
Vicky Vydra, a 37-year-old mother of two from Marlboro, was an avid runner, skier, and scuba diver. When she developed a persistent headache, she was shocked that tests revealed she had a hole in her heart. After four weeks of debilitating headaches, Vicky visited her primary care physician, who heard a heart murmur. She made an appointment with Divya Menon, MD,...Read More >
PULMONOLOGISTS
Frank Coppolino, MD
Pulmonary Disease
SK
Samuel Krachman, DO
Pulmonary Disease, Sleep Medicine
VJ
Vivek Jayaschandran, MD
Critical Care, Pulmonary Disease
Rajagopalan Rengan, DO
Critical Care, Pulmonary Disease, Sleep Medicine
Kenneth Barofsky, MD
Critical Care, Pulmonary Disease
John DeTullio, MD
Critical Care, Pulmonary Disease
Nirav N. Shah, DO
Critical Care, Pulmonary Disease
NK
Navjot Kaur, MD
Critical Care, Pulmonary Disease, Sleep Medicine
