According to the National Institutes of Health, patients who have entered into diabetes rehabilitation programs have shown significant improvements, especially where the empowerment of patients were the aim. The study showed that education programs which helped diabetic patients to learn self-manage their diabetes are effective.
Diabetes rehabilitation programs are most often offered through outpatient services, rehabilitation clinics, and diabetes centers. They are often managed bydiabetes educators, physical therapists, and exercise physiologists. Diabetes rehabilitation is usually primarily centered on exercises which help to burn calories and reduce blood sugar levels. The types of aerobic exercises and resistance training offered is usually also designed to strengthen the heart.
Diabetes rehabilitation programs are also designed to help teach patients to manage their blood sugar levels and set goals in order to decrease the risk of complications later on. In diseases such as diabetes, self-management is vital. The more informed a person becomes the better chance they have of reducing risks.
Diabetes Rehabilitation Pros & Cons
Diabetes rehabilitation provides a way for diabetes patients to exercise safely in a supervised environment. This can be essential for patients with older patients and patients with conditions that make exercising difficult or dangerous. They are also helpful for patients in good health, as they teach the optimal techniques for treating the disease and educate people about how to exercise safely. The exercises performed help to reduce cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risks of heart disease. Heart-related conditions are the most common reasons for death in diabetics.
Exercise for those who have critical heart complications need such programs as part of treatment. The fact that it is in a controlled environment allows them to improve their condition in ways that would be unsafe under other circumstances. This controlled environment is helpful with people whose neuropathy has caused them to be uncoordinated and fall easily. In fact, these programs improve flexibility, stamina, and coordination, lowering the risks of injury altogether.
Complications such as eye conditions, heart disease, and coronary artery disease may make exercising dangerous for some. Also, people who have been inactive for a long period of time or are obese are at an increased risk of injuryduring exercise. Patients with diabetic neuropathy are more prone to falls as well. Diabetics should speak with their physician or specialist to ensure that it is ok to join a diabetes rehabilitation program. They should exam your feet and your shoes to ensure that your footwear is right and there are no sores to be worried of. Diabetics should also check their feet before and after exercising during diabetes rehabilitation.
