By Dr. Farzeen Wadia
Have you ever noticed how something as simple as walking across a room or climbing a few stairs can suddenly leave you struggling for breath? Or perhaps taking a shower, getting dressed or carrying a cup of tea has become more tiring than it used to be? For people living with chronic lung conditions, breathlessness can gradually change the way they live. They start avoiding activities because they are afraid of becoming breathless.
One condition that can cause this is Pulmonary Fibrosis, which causes scarring in the lungs. The scar tissue makes the lungs stiffer and can make it harder for oxygen to pass into the bloodstream. As a result, we feel breathless, tired and less able to carry out our usual activities. Pulmonary Fibrosis is usually a long-term, progressive condition. Although treatment cannot remove the existing scar tissue or reverse the condition, there are ways to help people manage their symptoms and maintain their independence. This is where Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) can make a difference.
As September marks Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, let’s highlight a transformative, evidence-based therapy that helps patients reclaim their strength and independence: Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
What exactly is Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR)?
When most people think of physiotherapy, they picture recovery after a joint-surgery or regaining movement after a stroke. While those are vital parts of rehabilitation, PR works on a different system entirely, that is your breath and endurance. PR is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary intervention tailored specifically for individuals living with chronic respiratory conditions like Pulmonary Fibrosis, Interstitial Lung Disease, COPD, Asthma etc. While it cannot reverse structural scar tissue in the lungs, it fundamentally changes how your entire body utilizes oxygen.
What Pulmonary Rehabilitation involves
It’s much more than simply being told to “walk more”. A properly supervised program can include exercise training, breathing exercises, education, nutrition counselling and emotional support. It is recommended for people whose breathing problems affect their daily activities. This can include people with Pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases, COPD, Bronchiectasis, Asthma, Cystic fibrosis, Pulmonary hypertension, Lung cancer, Lung conditions following COVID-19 and those preparing for or recovering from lung surgery / transplant.
“But I am too breathless to exercise!” This is one of the patients’ biggest concerns. It is completely understandable. When an activity makes you breathless, your natural reaction may be to avoid it. But avoiding activity can create a vicious cycle: Living with a chronic lung condition often leads to a natural urge to avoid any task that causes shortness of breath. However, this causes your muscles to weaken and lose efficiency over time, making even light effort feel twice as hard, trapping you in a cycle where less activity leads to more breathlessness.
PR aims to reverse the cycle of inactivity and breathlessness by conditioning your body to use oxygen far more effectively.
How long does it take?
A PR program generally lasts 8 to 12 weeks, with sessions usually twice or thrice a week. Before starting PR, the patient undergoes an assessment, based on which a personalised exercise programme is prescribed. A reassessment after completion measures progress. However, PR does not end there. Benefits gained during the 8 to 12-week programme can last longer with continued physical activity, while stopping exercise can reduce improvements.
September’s Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month provides an opportunity to understand the disease and work towards maintaining quality of life. This year’s theme being ‘Today, not someday’ emphasizes that sometimes mean losing valuable time. And remember, do not confuse PR with simply starting an exercise routine on your own. Exercise does not replace prescribed medication. It is a supportive part of treatment. Those with chronic lung conditions should speak to their pulmonologist before beginning an exercise program. Exercise needs to be tailored to the individual’s medical condition and ability. Self-prescribing strenuous exercise can be unsafe.
Breathlessness can make a person’s world smaller but PR gives them the tools, strength and confidence to expand it again. Sometimes the goal isn’t to run a marathon, it’s simply to be able to walk from the car park to the clinic, get dressed without several breaks, prepare a cup of tea or move around the home with greater confidence. That could be a very meaningful improvement in someone’s quality of life!
[Dr. Farzeen Wadia (PT) is an empathetic Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapist with a decade of clinical experience specializing in pulmonary rehabilitation and functional recovery. A firm believer of holistic cardiorespiratory wellness, she is committed to empowering patients through self-management strategies, patient education, and movement-focused rehabilitation. To connect, E-mail: wadia.farzeen@yahoo.com]
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