Athletic Training

Cardiac rehabilitation

04/27/2001 08:18PM

Question:

What is the role of the physical therapist in cardiac rehabilitation, and what kind of treatments are generally used?

Answer:

A Physical Therapist can be one of a number of people and professions involved in cardiac rehabilitation. Education is a large component and exercise prescription is the other major component of physical therapy involvement. Cardiac rehabilitation can start in the hospital after a heart attack or a heart procedure. It is continued as an outpatient. Programs can vary with the type of equipment or exercises performed depending on the patient. Increasing endurance is a goal. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing an endurance activity 6 days a week for 30 minutes of continuous activity at a moderate level of effort. A physical therapist can help develop a program that accomplishes this goal while taking in consideration any special needs a patient may have. It has also been shown that improvement of the rest of the body helps the heart work less hard. Therefore, a strengthening program is usually prescribed as well to maximize each individuals potential. A physical therapist not only may help develop the program but may also monitor the individual during exercise sessions and update the program as progress is made.

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Response by:

Rose Smith, LPT
Assistant Professor
College of Allied Health Sciences
University of Cincinnati