We understand that your child wants to be as active as possible. OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital offers the only children’s heart rehabilitation program in the Northwest. We help children and teens with heart conditions build the confidence and strength to hike, play sports or keep up with friends on the playground.

You’ll find:

• Supervision of your child’s program by a cardiologist or advanced practice provider (such as a physician assistant) to ensure your child’s safety.
• One-on-one training with an experienced children’s physical therapist.
• Individual goals and home fitness plans.
• Exercise stress tests before starting out so you know the right and safe level of exertion for your child.
• Fun games and activities in our children’s physical therapy rooms.

What is heart rehab?

You may be surprised by how much your child can do with the right support and structure. Our program encourages children and teens with heart defects and disorders to become active in a safe, supervised and fun way.

Your child’s rehab team will include a children’s cardiologist, physician assistant and physical therapist. They will work with you to assess your child’s fitness level, and to set and achieve goals.

Over 12 weeks, your child will develop stamina and strength in one-on-one training sessions with a physical therapist and through physical activities at home.

Why is heart rehab important?

Young people with serious heart conditions often avoid exercise because they or their parents aren’t sure their hearts can handle it. They can become sedentary, which leads to weaker muscles, lower stamina and negative effects on long-term health.

Advances in heart care — including new surgical techniques, medications and other treatments — allow more children with a heart condition to exercise safely.

A structured rehab program can help children:

• Improve health and quality of life.
• Recover faster from surgery and other heart treatments.
• Gain confidence in their body’s ability to work hard.
• Participate in sports, physical education and activities with friends.

Exercise alone can’t fix your child’s heart condition. But it can help the heart and lungs work more efficiently.

Is heart rehab safe?

We have experience working with children and teens who have the most severe and complex heart problems, including single ventricle heart disease and cardiomyopathy. Some children are recovering from surgery, and others want to improve what they can do each day.

A doctor will supervise each step of rehabilitation to make sure it’s safe for your child’s heart condition and fitness level. We start with an exercise stress test to check how well your child’s heart and lungs work during exercise. Results help us create a rehab plan that is right for your child’s needs and goals.

Locations

Children younger than 10 train in our children’s rehab center on the seventh floor of Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. The rehab room is full of colorful mats, balls, toys, small bicycles and tricycles. It’s designed for children to feel like they are playing, not working.

Children 10 and older work out in OHSU’s 14,000-square-foot rehabilitation center on the South Waterfront. Children and teens do circuit-based activities such as using stationary bikes and treadmills, doing ladder drills on the floor, and using resistance bands.

Home fitness: Your child will train at home three days a week using a structured fitness plan. After the rehab program ends, we’ll help your child find ways to keep up the progress at home and school.