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Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Having a pulmonary condition can be both debilitating and scary – especially if it makes it hard to breathe. Pulmonary rehabilitation specialists in the Sutter Health network are here to help you improve your overall health and get you back to doing the things you love.

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Featured Services

  • Rehabilitation Classes and Support Groups

Breathe Easier

When you need support to manage a respiratory tract or lung-related condition, pulmonary rehabilitation (rehab) programs in the Sutter Health network can help.

All of our programs are conducted by highly skilled multidisciplinary teams of experienced pulmonary specialists. Our dedicated staff provides a wide range of diagnostic procedures, respiratory therapy services, assistance for emergency resuscitation situations, and education for patients and their families.

Your rehab team will work in coordination with your doctor to identify techniques that will help you manage your lung-related condition. Most treatment plans include conditioning exercises, nutritional counseling, and medication and inhaler management.

Spirometer

Depending on your medical history and doctor’s recommendations, your treatment plan may also include:

Breathing Retraining

These breathing techniques may strengthen the muscles that help you breathe in and out. For self-directed breathing exercises, an incentive spirometer is commonly used to teach you how to take slow, deep breaths. You may also learn deep breathing exercises that do not require devices, like pursed lip breathing.

Postural Drainage and Percussion

A physical therapist or respiratory therapist will show you different positions and poses for postural drainage. For each position, he or she will repeatedly clap with cupped hands on specific areas of your body (this is called percussion). This technique helps drain fluid out of your lungs and loosens mucus in your airways so that you can cough it out.

Other Airway Clearance Techniques

Your rehab team may also teach you other techniques to remove mucus from your airways. You may be taught how to use a controlled deep cough to bring up mucus or how to use huff coughing, which is less forceful and less tiring than a cough.

As a leader in physical therapy and rehab programs, we make education a cornerstone of your pulmonary rehab plan. In addition to consultations from rehab team members, you may be encouraged to attend a:

  • Pulmonary rehabilitation class
  • Better Breathers Club support group
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction program
  • Sleep disorders meeting
  • Smoking cessation class if you are a smoker

We also specialize in cardiopulmonary rehab programs for patients with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Patient Information

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Healthcare Made Easier

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Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Services

In addition to pulmonary rehabilitation, Sutter’s network of physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists offer care for a wide range of injuries and illnesses. We provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient programs and services that can help you reach your goals.

Smoking Research

Sutter Health Smoking Research
Tobacco is highly addictive and dangerous. Besides lung cancer, smoking can also cause heart disease, stroke, cataracts, and, in pregnant women who smoke, it’s linked to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). One out of five Americans dies of tobacco-related disease, so it’s important to find ways to prevent tobacco use and help people quit.

Sutter Health Smoking Research Sutter Health Smoking Research

Doctor Profiles

The following doctors are part of the Sutter Health network. Learn about the doctors on this site.
Melissa S. Lim, M.D.

Melissa S. Lim, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

James K. Gude, M.D.

James K. Gude, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

Thomas J. Nuckton, M.D.

Thomas J. Nuckton, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

Hari Nagaraj, M.D.

Hari Nagaraj, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

Neha Ahuja, M.D.

Neha Ahuja, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

Amit Karmakar, M.D.

Amit Karmakar, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

Eric O. Buadu, M.D.

Eric O. Buadu, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

Frank M. Delen, M.D.

Frank M. Delen, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

Anit B. Patel, M.D.

Anit B. Patel, M.D.

  • Pulmonary Disease

View All Related Doctors

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