heart disease
HOW PHYSIOTHERAPY CAN HELP
Did you know heart disease affects 2.4 million Canadians and is the second leading cause of death in Canada. With February being national heart month, we felt it was important to further explore this topic.
Heart disease refers to a condition where the heart or circulatory system is affected. Common forms include:
Coronary artery disease: This is the most common form and occurs when the arteries of the heart are blocked
Arrhythmia: When the heart beats irregularly, either too slowly or quickly
Congestive heart failure: When the heart is no longer strong enough to pump blood effectively
Stroke: This occurs when blood stops flowing to parts of the brain, damaging blood cells
Peripheral vascular disease: Condition where the blood vessels outside the heart and brain become narrowed and blocked
Angina: Temporary disruption in the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart
Valvular heart disease: Condition where the valves of the heart are affected
Cardiovascular disease is largely the cause of lifestyle factors and is thereby preventable in cases. Heart disease prevention involves avoidance of the modifiable risk factors. Modifiable risk factors include: smoking, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, being overweight, diabetes, high blood cholesterol and poor eating habits. Non modifiable risk factors increase the chance of developing heart disease, but cannot be changed. Non modifiable risk factors include: age, sex, family history and ethnicity.
Physiotherapy can help those with cardiovascular disease or following a cardiac event including surgery or heart attack. In the initial stages of recovery or treatment a supervised exercise program is beneficial. This ensures you are exercising at the right intensity and the program is designed to meet you needs. The goal with physiotherapy intervention is to rebuild one’s confidence, improve exercise tolerance and educate the patient regarding symptom management and signs of fatigue.
Interventions performed during physiotherapy and that may comprise your exercise program include both aerobic conditioning and strength training. Regular cardiovascular exercise will lead your heart and lungs to become more efficient and effective at pumping blood to the rest of the body’s tissues and organs. It can also decrease the heart rate and blood pressure at rest and during exercise. This helps to reduce the work load on the heart and can reduce symptoms of certain heart diseases. Resistance training also helps by improving body composition, muscle mass and reducing the risk of heart disease.
DO HAVE A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER WITH HEART DISEASE THAT MAY BENEFIT FROM PHYSIOTHERAPY?
CALL US TODAY TO SPEAK WITH A PHYSIOTHERAPIST ABOUT YOUR SITUATION!