Battling Heart and Stroke

Those rehab exercises can be a bore sometimes. Treadmill, cycles, weights, sit-ups…I’m sure many cardiac patients on rehab get sick of these exercises and are simply tempted to stop. Well, this Mexican doctor may just have found a better alternative…What about dancing?

Dr Paula Quiroga of the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chavez of Mexico City went for dancing steps instead of the usual rehab routine and got better results. More →

By Moses Wright

Cardiac rehabilitation is a form of therapy and rehabilitation that not many have heard about. Patients who have suffered a heart attack or undergone bypass surgery, their doctors would tend to recommend cardiac rehabilitation. Such rehabilitation is helpful as the patient usually needs to modify his lifestyle to some extent to maintain their best physical condition. Each program is uniquely catered to meet the needs of the patients, taking into consideration factors such as the patient’s age and weight as well as other prevailing illnesses.

A cardiac rehabilitation program aims to improve the overall health of the patient and is relatively holistic. The program also takes into consideration the specific heart problems the patient has and the underlying causes for the heart condition. Some of the areas of focus would include nutrition and weight loss, managing depression and stress, as well as improving the patient’s sense of self-esteem. In some cases, patients withdraw from life due to fear and anxiety issues; such factors are taken into consideration and the rehabilitation program would include therapy to help the patient deal with such emotional stress.

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