Pulmonary rehabilitation program effective for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A recent research paper on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) said that pulmonary rehabilitation programs are often useful for patients of this disease to have improved daily functions and activities.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are lung diseases involving restricted airflow and conditions like lung tissue destruction, airway inflammation, air sac enlargement etc. some common forms of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs involve exercise training to improve functional capacity of the lungs, taking into consideration the cardiovascular, pulmonary and skeletal muscle limitations. Goals of these programs are to reduce the symptoms of the diseases, increase the physical abilities of the patients and restore the highest level of independence in the attending to the daily functions of the patients.

Researchers had said that by talking the six-minute walk test the patients who had undergone the rehabilitation program could improve on their ability by about 54 meters. The peak work rate of these patients had also improved by about 18% when compared to their physical state before they had undergone the program.

Reference: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, July 2005