The MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center offers a Supervised Exercise Training Program for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) through the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Patients in the program benefit from an established comprehensive program dedicated to risk reduction, including smoking cessation and a visit with a registered dietitian.
PAD is a narrowing of the peripheral arteries which provide blood to the legs, stomach, arms and head, and often results in painful muscle cramping. Supervised treadmill exercise is safe and the most effective non-invasive therapy for improving walking distances in people with PAD.
What does the program entail?
- Intermittent walking on the treadmill
- Direct supervision of a qualified health care provider
- Training a minimum of 30 – 45 minutes per session, three times per week for 12 weeks
- Involves intermittent bouts of walking with periods of rest
- Warm-up and cool-down sessions before and after each session
- A visit with a registered dietitian
- Lifestyle management resources, like smoking cessation
In addition to a completed referral form, Medicare requires beneficiaries to have a face-to-face visit with their referring physician and documentation of risk factor reduction and/or counseling for lifestyle management. Patients with PAD have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and require clearance for exercise.
For questions regarding referrals to the Supervised Exercise Training Program for Peripheral Artery Disease, please call (562) 933-9326 or email [email protected].