special subjects
Rehabilitation for Other Disorders
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) can benefit from exercises to increase endurance and from strategies to simplify activities and thus conserve energy. Activities and exercises that encourage use of the upper and lower extremities are used to increase muscle aerobic capacity, which decreases overall oxygen requirement and eases breathing. Supervising patients while they engage in activity helps motivate them and makes them feel more secure. Such instruction may occur in medical facilities or in the patient’s home. 