STANDARD AND ALTERNATIVE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENTS IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION

Cardiovascular rehabilitation is the process of restoring functional a bilities degraded by a serious cardiovascular event or by a surgical p rocedure to preempt such an event. Cardiovascular rehabilitation also includes attempts to reverse risk factors that have contributed initia lly to the disease process. Rehabilitation programs generally comprise disease-related educational components, supervised prescriptive physi cal exercise, diet counseling and modification, cessation of tobacco u se, psychoeducational interventions aimed at adjustment and coping, an d relaxation and stress management to lower nonexertion-related sympat hetic drive. The presence of so-called coronary-prone behavior pattern s can be detected, and special behavioral modifications may be indicat ed to mitigate these putative risk factors. This paper reviews the rol es of these behavioral adjuncts in treating cardiovascular disease and its aftermath, and notes new and unusual approaches to these componen ts of treatment, such as alternative exercises, biofeedback, yoga, and other relaxation methods. Barriers to compliance are acknowledged, an d enhancement of compliance is discussed briefly.