Metro East Sun

HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital issued the following announcement on Jan. 8.

To help those living with peripheral arterial disease, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland recently added a new cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program, Supervised Exercise Therapy (SET) for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).

Peripheral arterial disease occurs when arteries in the legs become blocked with plaque, causing pain when walking. Some common causes are advancing age, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and smoking.

“SET for PAD is a program used to improve circulation and decrease symptoms of pain with walking associated with peripheral arterial disease,” said Kerry Steinmann, director of cardiopulmonary rehab. “Those with PAD struggle with walking without pain, even for short distances. We are pleased to offer this program to those living with this disease, which will allow them to walk longer distances with less pain.”

This program offers the following:

• Monitored and supervised exercise to improve circulation.
• Assessment and plan for exercise to improve functional ability and decrease symptoms.
• A series of 36 one-hour sessions
• Coverage by most insurances.

A physician referral and a diagnosis of symptomatic PAD are needed to be accepted into the program. Tests may be completed by the patient’s primary physician to verify PAD, including non-invasive ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing.

For more information about the SET for PAD program or to schedule a tour of the HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Center for Cardiac Rehab & Wellness, call 618-651-2755.

Original source can be found here.