Cardiac rehabilitation refers to a standardized exercise and education program designed to help you return to full fitness and function following an incident such as a heart attack.1 It is typically delivered in various environments by a team of specialists; these healthcare professionals work together to help you enhance your physical mobility, minimize your heart injury-related risk factors, and he
As part of the cardiac rehabilitation team, physiotherapists work to determine cardiac function, assess impairments that could hinder your mobility, and recommend progressive exercise and physical activity to help you recover after a cardiac accident to your everyday lifestyle.
There are four cardiac recovery stages. After the cardiac accident, the first phase happens in the hospital. The remaining three stages occur in a cardiac rehabilitation facility or at home once you have left the hospital. Bear in mind that recovery after a heart attack is variable; some individuals fly through each process, while others can have a more challenging time returning to normal. To understand the success and prognosis after a cardiac accident, work closely with your doctor.
The Acute Phase
The initial phase of cardiac recovery begins immediately after your cardiac event.1 To help you start to recover your mobility, an intensive care physical therapist will work closely with your physicians, nurses, and other rehabilitation practitioners.
Your physical therapist may start working with you in the intensive care unit if you have undergone a severe heart injury or surgery, such as open-heart surgery (ICU). You can be transferred to a cardiac stepdown unit until you no longer need the intensive monitoring and treatment of the ICU.
The Subacute Phase
Your cardiac rehabilitation program at an outpatient centre will begin after you leave the hospital. Phase two of cardiac recovery lasts typically from three to six weeks and includes continued control of the cardiac responses’ exercise and function.
Education on proper exercise protocols and how to control heart rate and exercise levels during exercise is another important component of phase two cardiac recovery. Although tracking your heart rate, this step focuses on your safe return to functional mobility.
You should be able to commence more independent exercise and operation by the end of phase two.
Intensive Outpatient Therapy
More individual and group activity is included in Phase Three of cardiac rehabilitation.1 You should be able to track your heart rate, your symptomatic response to exercise, and your perceived effort ranking (RPE). During this phase, the physical therapist will help you increase your exercise tolerance and track any adverse changes that might occur during this cardiac recovery phase.
Your physical therapist will help customize a regimen of workouts, including flexibility, reinforcement, and aerobic exercise, as you become more independent during phase three of cardiac rehabilitation.
Independent Ongoing Conditioning
Your own independent and ongoing conditioning is the final step of cardiac rehabilitation.2 If you have participated entirely in the previous three stages, you should have excellent knowledge of your particular condition, risk factors, and methods for preserving optimum health.
To preserve optimum health and avoid potential future heart complications, independent exercise and conditioning are essential. Although phase four is an individual maintenance phase, the physical therapist is available to help you achieve physical health and well-being to help make adjustments to your current workout routine.
