Respiratory Therapy

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Respiratory Therapy

Respiratory Therapy is a medical specialty with practitioners trained in cardio-pulmonary medicine and critical care to work with patients suffering from shortness of breath due to pulmonary disease and Long Covid-19. Respiratory Therapists (RT) help diagnose, monitor and treat conditions that affect breathing difficulties in patients of all ages. 

Christine undergoing respiratory therapy using advanced pulmonary equipment at La Mesa to treat shortness of breath related to Long Covid-19 and pulmonary diseases.
Patient undergoing pulmonary function test (PFT) with assistance from a respiratory therapist, monitoring lung function and breathing mechanics.

Complete Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) will be performed regularly during your therapy to assess the effectiveness of your rehab program on your breathing mechanics and disease progression. These tests provide important information to assess your static lung volume, dynamic flow rates, diffusing capacity, arterial blood gasses and pulse oximetry. A comprehensive exercise test will also be administered to look at basic lung mechanics with cardiopulmonary exercise performance.

Elderly woman(Nancy) performing a cardio exercise on a seated machine to improve lung function and Respiratory function under supervision of a Respiratory therapist.
patient sitting at a pulmonary function testing device, assessing lung capacity and cardio-pulmonary performance.
Dr. Angela Wang testimonial on the care provided at La Mesa's pulmonary therapy program for patients with lung conditions and long COVID-19.

At La Mesa Rehab, you will work closely with your Respiratory Therapist and Physical Therapist to design a program to help your lungs function better.

These efforts will reduce your shortness of breath, increase your lungs’ vital capacity, and clear any secretions or mucus. Our program will help to improve your strength and balance for the activities of life you enjoy. You will use specialized equipment and learn to manage your breathing so that you can participate in everyday activities with better endurance.

You will experience a variety of
specialized equipment and techniques including:

Bubble Breathing

Incentive Spirometry

Nebulizing Treatments

Vest Therapy

Salt Chamber Therapy

Inhaler Training

Oxygen Therapy

Balloon Therapy

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Postural Strengthening

La Mesa proudly partners with the American Lung Association's Better Breathers Club to support patients with pulmonary conditions and respiratory therapy needs.
Healthcare team standing with veterans at La Mesa, offering specialized pulmonary and physical therapy services for veterans' respiratory health and overall wellness.

Standing with our Veterans at La Mesa Rehab