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

Christine undergoing respiratory therapy using advanced pulmonary equipment at La Mesa to treat shortness of breath related to Long Covid-19 and pulmonary diseases.
Patient undergoing pulmonary function test (PFT) with assistance from a respiratory therapist, monitoring lung function and breathing mechanics.

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.

Elderly woman(Nancy) performing a cardio exercise on a seated machine to improve lung function and Respiratory function under supervision of a Respiratory therapist.
patient sitting at a pulmonary function testing device, assessing lung capacity and cardio-pulmonary performance.
Dr. Angela Wang testimonial on the care provided at La Mesa's pulmonary therapy program for patients with lung conditions and long COVID-19.

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

La Mesa proudly partners with the American Lung Association's Better Breathers Club to support patients with pulmonary conditions and respiratory therapy needs.
Healthcare team standing with veterans at La Mesa, offering specialized pulmonary and physical therapy services for veterans' respiratory health and overall wellness.

Standing with our Veterans at La Mesa Rehab