Overview
Physiotherapy is involved in the different stages of recovery after a cardiac event.
Family members and close friends are encouraged to participate as our program is not only designed to provide you with meaningful exercise and self-confidence, but also to educate family and close friends throughout your rehabilitation.
Cardiac rehabilitation encourages people with heart disease/conditions to recover faster and return to a full and productive life. Exercise is a key component in building and maintaining a healthy heart. Your heart is the hardest working muscle in your body, beating an average of 100,000 times every day. Exercise in combination with medication and diet changes can reduce your risk of further cardiac events and developing cardiovascular disease by up to 25% and overall mortality by 20%.
Who is cardiac rehabilitation offered to?
Cardiac rehabilitation is offered to people after a cardiac event, including people who have had a:
- Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction)
- Bypass surgery
- Heart-valve surgery
- Angioplasty/stent insertion
- Post-insertion of pacemaker or AICD device
- Angina Patients
- Post-heart transplant patients
- People with increased risk of developing heart disease
What does it involve and how long often do I attend?
The Cardiac Rehabilitation course (Phase 3) lasts for 6 weeks. It is comprised of exercise and education components. The program will help you practice and maintain healthy behaviours to continue to improve your existing heart condition or to keep your risk of heart disease low. It consists of an individually tailored exercise programme which is supervised by a physiotherapist and a cardiac rehab nurse. It also includes six weekly education sessions to teach you about your condition.
What do we hope to achieve through cardiac rehabilitation?
Through exercise and education, our cardiac rehabilitation program aims to:
- facilitate your recovery from a cardiac event
- facilitate your recovery from cardiac surgery
- help prevent/reduce your risk of cardiac events
- provide support to you and your family/friends
- facilitate your return to work and leisure activities
- improve your knowledge of your condition
- improve your confidence, reduce stress and anxiety
- help and encourage patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle changes
You will exercise within your own limits and those guided by your physiotherapist. Be reassured that the exercise will be tailored to suit your capabilities.
What will the education sessions involve?
You will receive six educational talks on different topics from the following professions:
- Consultant Cardiologist
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Physiotherapist
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse
- Pharmacist
- Dietician
- Occupational Therapist
Will I have to do exercises at home?
Yes, you will be expected to do exercises at home whilst carrying out the program which your physiotherapist will devise for you. Following completion of the course you must continue with the exercises or the benefits achieved throughout the programmer will be lost.
Phase IV - In order to be effective, physical activity and changes in lifestyle need to be maintained for the long term. Phase IV is referred to as the maintenance stage of cardiac rehabilitation. When you leave phase III cardiac rehabilitation, which is very structured, it is important to keep exercising and to stay with your heart-healthy habits. Phase IV involves the long-term maintenance of individual goals.
Patients who have completed the phase III programme are welcome to attend for further supervised exercise. This consists of an exercise class once a month. Prior to your class, your blood pressure, weight and waist circumference are measured and recorded.