HEART CENTERPeripheral Vascular Disease
St. Vincent Hospital’s Peripheral Vascular Disease Rehabilitation Program is designed to help people who have symptoms of intermittent claudication (leg pain) caused by walking and other weight-bearing activities due to PVD or arterial insufficiency. A PVD rehab program can significantly reduce pain symptoms, improve circulation, decrease hospitalizations, and improve lifestyle and life expectancy through exercise and lifestyle modifications. It can also help prevent further deterioration of the disease process, thereby reducing the risks of stroke, heart attack, and loss of limbs.
Our PVD Rehabilitation Program can:
• Increase your quality of life through risk factor modification
• Improve your circulation and decrease leg pain symptoms
• Increase your exercise tolerance
• Increase your overall endurance and muscle strength
• Reduce your risks of PVD progression while improving overall cardiovascular health
Getting Started
If you believe you have a PVD/intermittent claudication condition that qualifies you for our PVD Rehabilitation Program, you will need a physician’s referral. Your physician may also recommend additional testing such as cardiac stress tests prior to entering the program.
How Our PVD Rehabilitation Program Works
After receiving referral from your physician, you will undergo an evaluation with a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. You will then participate in an exercise program of 30- to 60-minute durations three times a week for 12 weeks with emphasis on walking exercise (treadmill/elliptical walker). There also will be 45- to 60-minute group education/training sessions once a month for three months; family members are welcome to attend. The group sessions cover:
• Smoking cessation, nutrition, weight loss, and healthy lifestyle changes
• Skin care, foot care, and pressure relief issues
• Stress management, relaxation techniques, and coping with PVD
When you have completed the 12-week PVD Rehab Program, an optional unsupervised maintenance program is available for a small fee.
An Individualized Plan
The St. Vincent Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation staff will design an individualized treatment plan, focused on exercise and education, to help increase your daily activities and your quality of life.
The plan includes:
• Supervised exercise sessions with symptom monitoring
• Risk factor modification training sessions to help you and your family understand your disease and how you can modify your lifestyle to reduce the risk for progressive peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
If you have any questions and would like to speak with a therapist, please contact: St. Vincent Hospital's Outpatient Rehabilitation at (920) 433-8544 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Our PVD Rehabilitation Program can:
• Increase your quality of life through risk factor modification
• Improve your circulation and decrease leg pain symptoms
• Increase your exercise tolerance
• Increase your overall endurance and muscle strength
• Reduce your risks of PVD progression while improving overall cardiovascular health
Getting Started
If you believe you have a PVD/intermittent claudication condition that qualifies you for our PVD Rehabilitation Program, you will need a physician’s referral. Your physician may also recommend additional testing such as cardiac stress tests prior to entering the program.
How Our PVD Rehabilitation Program Works
After receiving referral from your physician, you will undergo an evaluation with a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. You will then participate in an exercise program of 30- to 60-minute durations three times a week for 12 weeks with emphasis on walking exercise (treadmill/elliptical walker). There also will be 45- to 60-minute group education/training sessions once a month for three months; family members are welcome to attend. The group sessions cover:
• Smoking cessation, nutrition, weight loss, and healthy lifestyle changes
• Skin care, foot care, and pressure relief issues
• Stress management, relaxation techniques, and coping with PVD
When you have completed the 12-week PVD Rehab Program, an optional unsupervised maintenance program is available for a small fee.
An Individualized Plan
The St. Vincent Hospital Outpatient Rehabilitation staff will design an individualized treatment plan, focused on exercise and education, to help increase your daily activities and your quality of life.
The plan includes:
• Supervised exercise sessions with symptom monitoring
• Risk factor modification training sessions to help you and your family understand your disease and how you can modify your lifestyle to reduce the risk for progressive peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
If you have any questions and would like to speak with a therapist, please contact: St. Vincent Hospital's Outpatient Rehabilitation at (920) 433-8544 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
