When we think of physiotherapy, lots of us picture stretches or exercises testing and exercising our muscles, tendons and mobility. Lots of people believe that physiotherapy is therefore only reserved for sportsmen and sportswomen, certain physical conditions that limit mobility and pre or post-surgery, but actually physiotherapy is beneficial for a range of people of all different age groups and helps relieve a range of conditions. Pulmonary and respiratory physiotherapy specifically aims to relive any lung or respiratory distress.
According to the British Lung Foundation, around 10,000 people in the UK are newly diagnosed with a lung disease every week and approximately one in five people in the UK has developed asthma, COPD or another long-term respiratory illness. Half of them are currently on treatment (mainly inhalers) for lung disease. Medical intervention is beneficial, where necessary, but lots of people seek respiratory physiotherapy for further improvements.
Who Might Want Pulmonary or Respiratory Physio?
Respiratory physiotherapy is targeted for people with various medical conditions affecting lungs such as
- COPD
- Cystic fibrosis
- Pneumonia
or any conditions which are causing excess mucus in lungs or involve any respiratory distress. Physiotherapy can improve health and speed up recovery.
What can a respiratory physiotherapist help and advise you on?
- Practicing breathing control
- Active Cycle of Breathing Techniques (ACTB) for secretion clearance
- The checking of O2 levels – pulse oximetry can be used
- Different positions of ease to try
- Maintaining and improving exercise tolerance via graded mobility
- Basic aerobic activities in sitting or standing that can be timed and progressed
- Keeping check of chest expansion levels, practicing with an incentive spirometer for resisted expiration to maximise pulmonary ventilation.
At Physio Comes to You, we want to empower people and share our knowledge and experience which is why we offer training to patients and carers. Self-clearance techniques are very important to our patients so we’re happy to show you manual techniques, postural drainage techniques, breathlessness management and more. Lots of our current patients and their family and carers are minimising re-infection with our regular input.
It’s a troubling time for many people with underlying conditions during the coronavirus outbreak and due to this and the rise in cases of patients with breathing difficulties, we are offering respiratory physiotherapy either on site or via Skype, online.