Clinic aims to help patients breathe easier

BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

SOMERSET - Most people take for granted that they can go outside and take a breath of fresh air. But what happens to those people who have pulmonary diseases and have a hard time taking short breaths, let alone a deep breath of the air that surrounds them?

MultiCare Therapy Center on Route 27 in Somerset now offers a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program for patients suffering from chronic lung conditions due to asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, sarcoidosis, scleroderma, early-stage lung cancer or lung surgery. The outpatient program combines education, breathing and stamina exercises, psychosocial and dietary counseling to help patients return to the functions of their daily lives without worrying about having breathing attacks.

Rose Ann Citron and Susan Szurko are the two respiratory therapists who work at the center. Their patients have shared several positive stories with them, such as a man who now goes dancing with his wife. There is one woman who could barely walk up the stairs who was eventually able to pick up a baby and walk with him up the stairs.

An 83-year-old patient who used to use two liters of oxygen every 24 hours is close to her goal of traveling to the Netherlands in the spring without the use of an oxygen tank. Another woman went to Manhattan and instead of leaving the theater because there were no elevators or escalators, she walked up two flights of stairs to the balcony.

Their patients also resume shopping, trips to Atlantic City and social gatherings.

"This gives them their life back and their self-confidence," Citron said. "This way they know they can walk a bit, they can travel. ... I definitely see a reduction in stress because they know a little more about their disease. They see they're not alone dealing with it, and they have other people around so there's camaraderie. That is part of the mental benefit, the social benefit."

The outpatient program varies from hospital rehabilitation, which is usually a group session. Instead, MultiCare Therapy offers two to three sessions per week for eight to 12 weeks with an extensive initial evaluation performed by a licensed therapist. The instruction then consists of several exercise options such as a treadmill, stationary bicycle, ergometer, resistance training and stretching activities.

"I think it's more encouraging to them if it's on an individual basis ... because they feel we're giving them a little more attention than if they're in a group," Citron said.

Psychologically, patients recover from their fear of having a panic attack or of their symptoms flaring up at inconvenient times. The center teaches stress management, proper health maintenance and independence so that patients can control their situation and not let their disease get the best of them. Their nutrition can also be evaluated because a poor diet lacking the right nutrients can aggravate a condition, as can being under- or overweight.

"I hope they're able to get somewhat of their daily living back and don't sit at home but realize they are still part of a family and still part of the community ... and realize they still have a good part of their life left to still do things and accomplish things," Citron said.

For more information about the rehabilitation program, call (732) 545-7474 or visit www.multicaretherapy.com.