Cardiac Rehabilitation
If you recently survived a heart attack, had heart surgery (bypass or valve), have recently undergone placement of a stent or angioplasty, or have been diagnosed with heart failure, it is essential to enroll in outpatient cardiovascular rehabilitation (cardiac rehab).
Cardiac rehab is your next step in a successful recovery. Rehab is like having a personal trainer for your cardiovascular system and its benefits extend beyond just exercise. Participation can also help reduce your risk for future cardiac events by learning ways to keep your heart healthy and to manage cardiac risk factors. Expert health professionals guide you toward a new and personalized heart-healthy lifestyle. Traditionally, a rehab program focuses on gradually increasing your daily activity and establishing an exercise routine. Cardiopulmonary staff monitors your heart with every move to ensure its safety as your stamina increases. The American Heart Association agrees that participating in cardiac rehab is one of the best things you can do for your heart health.
Are You a Candidate for Cardiac Rehab?
Our goal at the Steele Memorial Medical Center is to educate patients and their families about heart conditions. You may be a candidate for cardiac rehab if you have had any of the following cardiovascular conditions or treatments:
- Angina
- Angioplasty
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery
- Heart attack
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Heart procedures or surgery
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Pacemaker
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
- Stenting
- Valve replacement
- Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
Supervised Exercise Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
Peripheral artery disease is a narrowing of the peripheral arteries that carry blood away from the heart to other parts of the body. The most common type is lower-extremity PAD, in which blood flow is reduced to the legs and feet. Upper-extremity PAD (arms, hands and fingers) is less common but affects about 10% of the population. People with peripheral artery disease have a higher risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke.
If you have peripheral artery disease (PAD), you’re probably very familiar with leg pain when walking. Most people with symptomatic PAD can’t walk for more than 15-20 minutes before painful cramps and a tightening sensation or other symptoms occur in the calves, thighs, or buttocks. As the condition worsens, many find the pain may even occur when at rest. Paradoxically, walking can help relieve that pain – and help you walk without pain for longer periods of time and farther distances. The key is supervised exercise therapy (SET), which is specially designed to target the muscles used when walking. The cardiopulmonary rehab therapists at Steele Memorial Medical Center are specially trained at helping patients with PAD through this very effective therapeutic intervention.
Supervised exercise therapy is considered the gold standard when it comes to treating intermittent claudication, the type of leg pain associated with peripheral artery disease. At Steele Memorial Medical Center, we offer this therapy, commonly referred to as SET-PAD.
SET-PAD are walking exercises that alternate moderate- to high-intensity walking with rest (walk-rest-walk). These exercises are monitored by a medical professional, in a controlled setting, for the safety of our patients – especially those with heart disease, diabetes, or other serious medical conditions. SET-PAD improves blood circulation to relieve pain and other symptoms in your legs, while improving your ability to walk greater distances and for longer periods of time. After completing the full series of SET-PAD sessions, many patients report little to no pain when walking.