Does pulmonary rehabilitation work?

[FREE866]

Not sure if this is the right forum



I'm looking into pulmonary rehabilitation for my 83 year old mom who suffers from COPD.


Has anyone done one of these programs?


My concern, quite frankly, is that my mom is pretty lazy and won't do the "take home assignments" like continual take home exercises and proper eating.


Thanks

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FREE866 Not sure if this is the right forum I'm looking into pulmonary rehabilitation for my 83 year old mom who suffers from COPD. Has anyone done one of these programs? My concern, quite frankly, is that my mom is pretty lazy and won't do the "take home assignments" like continual take home exercises and proper eating. Thanks

My wife has advanced COPD and we have been through this and any gain from PT has appeared to be only temporary. The ongoing drugs work the best along with an oxygen concentrator. My wife is on O2 100%of the time now but gets along just fine at 77 years old.

[FREE866]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 My wife has advanced COPD and we have been through this and any gain from PT has appeared to be only temporary. The ongoing drugs work the best along with an oxygen concentrator. My wife is on O2 100%of the time now but gets along just fine at 77 years old.

Thx aja
Sorry about your wife...was she a smoker?

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FREE866 Thx aja Sorry about your wife...was she a smoker?

Yes, most of here life and really had a hard time stopping. But COPD made her stop.

[FREE866]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Yes, most of here life and really had a hard time stopping. But COPD made her stop.

Same with my mom
started at 25 , quit at 60
think the COPD started few years after quitting


so , back to my question--did she do an actual program?


one NYU offers is 12 weeks
2-3x a week

[Another Reader]

I don't know about COPD, but several Covid patients I know have been helped by breathing programs. One of the early self-managed ones was Stasis, which was developed by Mt. Sinai in New York. I know one patient who was significantly improved by working with a respiratory therapist with Kaiser locally.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FREE866 Same with my mom started at 25 , quit at 60 think the COPD started few years after quitting so , back to my question--did she do an actual program? one NYU offers is 12 weeks 2-3x a week

Yes, she did the same program at least three different times, but there was no long term improvement. So, we quit and just deal with her condition with medication and oxygen.

Keep in mind,there is no cure for COPD. It is a progressive disease that slowly ends one's life. Generally, a bad case has about 5 years until death. That's what her pulmonologist has told us. Her expensive drugs are doing well to extend her life beyond what would be expected. But her mobility is getting worse, overall.

[NW-Bound]

My 96-year-old mother-in-law had COPD. It landed her in the hospital a couple of times, the last time was 2 years ago. She used to be a smoker, but quit when she was perhaps 70.

She has been doing a treatment at home religiously. Her pulmonary doctor was amazed and said he had not seen a case like this.

The treatment consists of inhaling some drugs that are atomized in a mister, and this is done 2x a day. This is maintenance treatment, and continued indefinitely.

PS. She was off the oxygen concentrator not long after the hospital discharge. The oxygen concentrator is still there, just in case she needs it.

[FREE866]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Yes, she did the same program at least three different times, but there was no long term improvement. So, we quit and just deal with her condition with medication and oxygen. Keep in mind,there is no cure for COPD. It is a progressive disease that slowly ends one's life. Generally, a bad case has about 5 years until death. That's what her pulmonologist has told us. Her expensive drugs are doing well to extend her life beyond what would be expected. But her mobility is getting worse, overall.

Thx aja
Really appreciate your feedback.

[FREE866]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound My 96-year-old mother-in-law had COPD. It landed her in the hospital a couple of times, the last time was 2 years ago. She used to be a smoker, but quit when she was perhaps 70. She has been doing a treatment at home religiously. Her pulmonary doctor was amazed and said he had not seen a case like this. The treatment consists of inhaling some drugs that are atomized in a mister, and this is done 2x a day. This is maintenance treatment, and continued indefinitely. PS. She was off the oxygen concentrator not long after the hospital discharge. The oxygen concentrator is still there, just in case she needs it.

That is inspiring NW
Shes actually fine if she is just sitting around her apartment, but walking down street is when she really feels it.
Thx for your input

[pacergal]

Pulmonary Rehab will help build strength and improve lung function, learn breathing techniques and exercises to increase/improve strength.
Attending will also give your Mom time with others who have the same issues, which sometimes helps you feel less alone in your illness.
Even if she doesn't do the "home work", she will benefit, I think,

My Mom had COPD and the breathing exercises/techniques helped her.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FREE866 Thx aja Really appreciate your feedback.

Glad to help and wish her luck going forward.

With early and a mild COPD case, she may benefit from the PT, but in my DW's case, she is too far along and on the O2 100% (and needed to even be here).