Did You Know...?

That Chartered Physiotherapists encourage a healthy and active lifestyle at all stages of heart disease?

That Chartered Physiotherapists treat patients both prior to and immediately after heart surgery?

That Chartered Physiotherapists treat patients with pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, stents and heart valve replacements?

That Chartered Physiotherapists treat patients after myocardial infarction (heart attack) and also those with heart failure?

Physiotherapy and Cardiac Services

Chartered Physiotherapists in Cardiac Services are involved in all areas of Cardiac Rehabilitation. In Ireland this is broken into four phases:

Phase 1

Phase 1 is the stage where the patient is in hospital and has been diagnosed with heart disease. The Chartered Physiotherapist seeks to give information regarding heart disease and also to encourage the patient to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle including advice on how to exercise safely and recognize when they are overexerting themselves. If the patient is to undergo surgery (e.g. Coronary Artery Bypass Graft - CABG) the Chartered Physiotherapist will advise about the treatment the patient will receive prior to and immediately after the surgery.

Phase 2

Phase 2 is the stage that involves an education class generally in the period immediately after the patient has been discharged from hospital. During this class the Chartered Physiotherapist will address the importance of exercising safely and outline how best to achieve this. This will include advice about warming up and cooling down and also how to keep motivated and maintain activity levels.

Phase 3

Phase 3 is the supervised exercise and education classes which generally run for between 8 to 10 weeks.  During this phase the patients actively participate in a cardio protective exercise programme and also receive further education from the Chartered Physiotherapist regarding monitoring their exertion and protecting their heart through exercise.

Phase 4

Phase 4 involves the long term maintenance of activity and fitness levels through adherence to the healthy lifestyle advocated throughout the other phases.

Chartered Physiotherapists in Cardiac Services also work closely with patients diagnosed with heart failure as well as those who have had heart surgery which may have resulted in devices being implanted to deal with certain heart conditions e.g. pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, prosthetic heart valves etc.

Chartered Physiotherapists in Cardiac Services aim to promote healthy and active lifestyles in the general public by raising awareness of heart disease and the role of exercise and lifestyle modification in decreasing the incidence of this disease.