
Respiratory Therapy
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Respiratory Therapy
Respiratory Therapy is a medical specialty with practitioners trained in cardio-pulmonary medicine and critical care to work with patients suffering from shortness of breath due to pulmonary disease and Long Covid-19. Respiratory Therapists (RT) help diagnose, monitor and treat conditions that affect breathing difficulties in patients of all ages.
Mike’s Story
Mike was referred to us with a diagnosis of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). He had been hospitalized three times, and by the time he arrived for our program, he was very weak and had little endurance for the most basic of activities, walking his dog, climbing stairs, things that he had normally been able to do.
“I had to stop walking my dog. He used to love to go about three miles, and I couldn't do that anymore. So yes, there was a definite issue with stamina and maintaining that breathing ability… The fact that I've been active all my life and been able to do so many things, not being able to do those, makes life discouraging.” - Mike
During Michael's treatment, we worked to improve his breathing with special breathing techniques, different types of breathing modalities, as well as physical endurance and training.
“The La Mesa Rehab faculty is phenomenal. They're very caring individuals. They really know their stuff. It's completely changed my life. If I would have continued walking down the road that I was walking down, I don't know if I'd be here today.”
- Mike
Complete Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) will be performed regularly during your therapy to assess the effectiveness of your rehab program on your breathing mechanics and disease progression. These tests provide important information to assess your static lung volume, dynamic flow rates, diffusing capacity, arterial blood gasses and pulse oximetry. A comprehensive exercise test will also be administered to look at basic lung mechanics with cardiopulmonary exercise performance.
At La Mesa Rehab, you will work closely with your Respiratory Therapist and Physical Therapist to design a program to help your lungs function better.
These efforts will reduce your shortness of breath, increase your lungs’ vital capacity, and clear any secretions or mucus. Our program will help to improve your strength and balance for the activities of life you enjoy. You will use specialized equipment and learn to manage your breathing so that you can participate in everyday activities with better endurance.
You will experience a variety of
specialized equipment and techniques including:
Bubble Breathing
Incentive Spirometry
Nebulizing Treatments
Vest Therapy
Halotherapy (Salt)
Inhaler Training
Oxygen Therapy
Balloon Therapy
Diaphragmatic Breathing
Postural Strengthening
Standing with our Veterans at La Mesa Rehab