COPD Summary Rehabilitation Study

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, but is highly under recognized, and is a major contributor to the rising health care costs to society (Swain, Brawner, Chambliss, Nagelkirk & Swank, 2014, p. 121). COPD is typically characterized by an irreversible progression of airway blockages, due to an inflammatory response in the lungs to smoking, second-hand smoke, and other irritant particles (Swain et al., 2014, p. 121). COPD encompasses both chronic bronchitis and emphysema (Swain et al., 2014, p. 121). Although COPD is irreversible and there is no known cure, good and effective treatment includes quitting smoking, or removing the irritant, taking COPD medications, and pulmonary rehabilitation …show more content…
133). Intervals may be structured as 20 seconds of exercise and 40 seconds of rest at first, and progress to a 1:1 ratio (Kortianou, 2010). Swain et al., 2014, also recommends increasing an individual’s exercise intensity by 5 – 10% as they adapt to training, training becomes easier, and they rate their dyspnea symptom as moderate on a Borg symptom scale. Clients should be taught how to self manage their exercise by trying to achieve a rating of 5 – 6 on a 10-point Borg exertion scale during their exercise intervals, and utilize pursed-lip breathing during intervals of rest and exercise to help facilitate proper ventilation (Kortianou, 2010). After a few weeks an individual with COPD should begin to notice physiological changes, however the longer the exercise program the greater the results (Swain et al., 2014, p. 133). Although the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation, such as exercise tolerance, will start to decline over time after cessation of a training program, the health-related benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation may last up to 2 years (Swain et al., 2014, p. 133). If an individual continues with exercise training outside of pulmonary rehabilitation, which is highly recommended, the entire interval-training bout should last up to an hour or more and the intensity should progress to 150% of capacity to gain …show more content…
Although both interval training and endurance training seem to produce similar changes in muscle composition and enzymatic changes, interval training allows individuals with COPD to exercise for a longer period of time at a higher intensity, with lower incidences of symptom aggravation such as dyspnea and lower limb discomfort (Kortianou, 2010). Arnardottir et al., 2006, also suggests that one of the reasons an individual with COPD are able to tolerate higher exercise intensity during interval training is because it causes less dynamic hyperinflation of the lungs, which could allow the individual to have greater physiological gains from exercising. In general, most patients with COPD are unlikely to perform continuous, endurance type activities in their daily life so it seems unreasonable to train the aerobic system for an anaerobic lifestyle. In the future, research should be geared towards determining the best

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