Cardiac rehabilitation
Heart rehabilitation in Vidalia, Georgia
We provide the additional support you need to promote your circulatory health.
At Memorial Health Meadows Hospital, our cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation specialists can assist you after a cardiac event or heart disease diagnosis. Our heart health programs aim to help you improve your function and overall quality of life.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free health-related information is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Cardiac therapy services we offer
Our pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation specialists offer multiple programs that can be personalized to your unique recovery goals.
Pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation programs
Our specialists incorporate a thorough medical evaluation at the beginning of your care and determine how to best address your physical and physiological symptoms. We offer the following programs:
- Cardiac rehabilitation — Lasts up to 36 sessions, or three months, and includes monitored exercise to strengthen your heart, lungs and overall condition
- Pulmonary rehabilitation — Lasts up to 24 sessions, or six weeks, with the end goal of living an independent lifestyle even with a respiratory condition
Education, exercises and nutrition counseling are included in both programs to help you manage your condition and reduce the risk for future heart and lung problems. As part of the program, you may use:
- Arm ergometer bikes
- Elliptical machines
- Recumbent cross trainers
- Stationary bicycles
- Treadmills
- Weight circuits
Program benefits
There can be many benefits of undergoing cardiac or pulmonary rehabilitation, including:
- Added emotional support
- Boosted energy levels
- Decreased progression of cardiac and pulmonary disease
- Establishment of healthy heart and lung habits
- Improved blood cholesterol
- Improved heart and lung function and performance
- Improved self-image and self-confidence
- Mitigation of risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes
- Reduced anxiety and depression
- Reduced chances of another heart attack
- Reduced shortness of breath
- Reduced stress and tension
Supervised exercise therapy (SET) for peripheral artery disease (PAD)
PAD is a vascular disease, caused by gradual build-up of plaque within the leg arteries. It may cause disabling symptoms, such as:
- Leg cramping while walking
- Leg pain while resting
- Nerve damage
- Skin breakdown
SET can help you if you are experiencing PAD discomfort. The exercise therapy targets the muscles that hurt when you walk, such as your calf, thigh or buttock. If you have PAD, our goals are to increase your functional capacity and reduce risk factors, such as heart attack and stroke.
Our program also provides smoking cessation counseling and teaches life skills to help reduce complications of diabetes.
Benefits of SET
Research has shown SET can be an effective, minimally invasive method to alleviate common symptoms of PAD, including intermittent claudication (IC). It can be significantly more effective than unsupervised exercise, by preventing the progression of PAD and lowering the risk of cardiovascular events. SET gives the best results when:
- Exercise sessions last 30 to 60 minutes or longer
- Program runs for three months or 36 sessions
- Sessions take place up to three times a week
- There is a face-to-face visit with the physician responsible for PAD treatment
SET is not appropriate if exercise is not recommended by your primary physician.