Cheshire Medical Center

The treatment of chronic lung disease such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis is frequently complex and challenging for both patients and those who care for patients. Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene provides a comprehensive outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program to serve the needs of patients in our community. Our goal is to improve the comfort, functionality, and understanding for our patients who struggle with these challenging diseases.

The Pulmonology Rehabilitation Department provides all necessary therapeutic and diagnostic modalities for the management of respiratory disorders such as COPD, Asthma, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory complications.

Procedures Performed or Problems Diagnosed and Treated

• Therapeutic exercise: cardiovascular, light hand weights or therabands, Cybex strengthening equipment, and stretching for flexibility
• Education: breathing techniques, medications, inhaler use, energy conservation, relaxation, anxiety, respiratory physiology, home oxygen use, warning signs, and nutrition
• Group Support: relaxation and breathing, as well as group discussion
• Maintenance Program: cardiovascular exercise, Cybex equipment use, and group camaraderie
• Better Breathers: a monthly support group for anyone with chronic lung disease

The links below provide additional information on our program offerings and valuable educational resources. All files types are PDF.

Program Overview

Educational Resources:

• Cycle of Debiliation/How to Monitor Your Pulse
• Home Excercise Program
• Relaxation Techniques
• Nutrition in COPD
• Activities of Daily Living
• Medications and You
• Correct Use of Metered Inhalers

PDF file of all Pulmonary Rehabilitation Education sections above (18 pages).

For Additional Information:

Contact:

Mary Anne Riley, RRT
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program Coordinator
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Phone: 603-354-6730
Fax: 603-354-6636

For more information, visit these related sites:

• American Lung Association - 1-800-548-8252
• American Thoracic Society
• American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehab
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - 1-800-311-3435
• Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis - 1-888-222-8541
• COPD Foundation - 1-866-316-2673
• Mayo Clinic
• MedLine Plus
• National Emphysema Foundation
• National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine -
  1-800-222-5864
• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
• National Lung Health Education Program
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance - 1-800-762-4636
• Sleep Net

Chronic Lung Disease Forum Closed

Thank you for your ongoing support of, and participation in, the Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Chronic Lung Disease Forum. After twelve years of offering the Forum, we feel we need to discontinue offering this service due to the constant work of trying to keep inappropriate content off our site. Despite trying to password protect this site, we find the Forum continues to attract content we, and members of the Forum community, find offensive. We do not have the resources to police the site in the way we feel it should be maintained and are unable to facilitate those outside our group to manage the forum. We feel our Forum users will be able find support, community and assistance at one of the following excellent resources:

• huff-n-puff.net
• lungdiseasefocus.com
• topix.net: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Thank you for your continued support and all best wishes to those who have been contributors to the Chronic Lung Disease Forum.

Yours in good health,
Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene