Heart Failure
What is heart failure?
The heart’s biggest job is pumping blood throughout the entire body. Heart failure means the heart isn’t working as effectively as it should be and this can present itself in different ways, depending on a person’s specific medical history. Sometimes this means one or both sides of the heart muscle isn’t strong enough, sometimes it means the heart muscle has grown too large and there’s not enough space for the blood to fill and eject appropriately, sometimes it means other body parts have been impacted in addition to the heart. Your body may experience other changes as it tries to meet its own needs for oxygen, blood flow, and other nutrients.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/doctor-holding-a-heart-5207096/
How do physical therapists help?
Living with heart failure can make it more difficult to be active and do the things you need and want to do. While PTs cannot treat heart failure itself, they can guide your approach to movement in ways that safely accomplish tasks while living with heart failure. I’m not sure how much physical therapy education covered cardiopulmonary conditions in previous degree programs, but with the recent shift toward doctorate level education (hard requirement starting in 2016), physical therapists are expected to be able to understand the basics of different conditions and monitor people for signs and symptoms that indicate if the exercise they’re doing is safe or unsafe. PTs with experience, certification, or specialization in cardiopulmonary care will likely be more knowledgeable about interventions they can use to help you.
Physical therapists can be found in hospitals helping patients with heart failure learn how to regulate their activity levels while doing things like standing, walking, transferring from bed to chair, and going to the restroom. PTs can also help on the outpatient clinic end, where the patient’s goals tend to be more focused on being able to participate in activities like job duties, hobbies, and family life.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, try checking out these resources:
Choose PT - Heart Disease and Heart Failure
Mayo Clinic - Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
