Respiratory Physiotherapy

What is Respiratory Physiotherapy and how can it help?

The Respiratory Physiotherapy is a specialised area of Physiotherapy focusing on helping people with respiratory conditions and other conditions that affect breathing. 

Using the different techniques and methods as part of Respiratory physio can help to:

  • reduce breathlessness and increase exercise tolerance in people with chronic respiratory issues
  • optimise the ability to clear secretions /sputum
  • improve lung volume and chest expansion
  • preserve musculoskeletal function
  • decrease work of breathing

Which conditions benefit from respiratory physiotherapy?

If you or anyone you now suffers any of these issues, we might be able to help.

  • asthma
  • COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • bronchiectasis
  • hyperventilation syndrome
  • cystic fibrosis
  • recurrent chest infections

What treatment techniques do we use? 

Depending on what the goals of the treatment are we might use a combination of different techniques: 

  • manual techniques like expiratory vibrations or percussions of the chest wall help with airways clearance 
  • PEP - positive expiratory pressure techniques using variety of PEP devices to help shift sputum out of the airways
  • *ACBT - active cycle of breathing technique again helping to mobilise secretions / phlegm
  • exercise - arms and upper body movements together with deep breathing help with sputum clearance, chest expansion and they can also improve mobility of the thorax and shoulder area - all important for easy breathing. Also tailor made cardio workouts help with airways clearance as well as reduction of breathlessness
  • diaphragmatic breathing practice
  • autogenic drainage
  • inhaler technique review
  • components of pulmonary rehabilitation program - specifically and individually designed exercise program working on gradually increasing exercise tolerance in people who have lung disease and who have symptom of breathlessness
  • advise on managing the lung condition and breathlessness, energy conservation 
  • myofascial release techniques to work on increasing thoracic, neck and upper limbs mobility