Respiratory Therapy

What is Respiratory Therapy (Chest Physiotherapy)?

Chest PT, or CPT expands the lungs, strengthens breathing muscles, and loosens and improves drainage of thick lung secretions. A respiratory therapist or pulmonary physiotherapist performs chest PT. ReAble Chest Physiotherapists (Chest PTs) are experts in treating breathing and lung problems that affect patient’s ability to breathe properly and reduce shortness of breath and fatigue.

Treatments vary depending on the specific disease, the severity of the disease, medical history, patient’s age, and other factors. Chest PT treatments and procedures may include:

• Chest percussion and vibration to help loosen lung secretions
• Controlled coughing techniques to help break up lung secretions
• Deep breathing exercises to help expand the lungs and draw more air into all areas of the lungs
• Incentive spirometry to help improve lung function. This may be used to re-expand your lungs and prevent pneumonia
• Positioning and turning to help improve lung expansion and drainage of secretions. This is particularly important for patients who are bedridden
• Postural drainage to help drain lung secretions

Pulmonary Rehabilitation after Stroke

Respiratory dysfunction is a common complication following a stroke; however, the pulmonary rehabilitation of stroke patients can help ease breathing troubles. Pulmonary rehabilitation is also critical to reducing complications that can occur after stroke like pneumonia, pulmonary ventilation disorders, lung injury, lung ischemia reperfusion injury, decreased pulmonary compliance, abnormal posture, and obstructive sleep apnea.

What is included in Respiratory therapy for Stroke patients?

Researchgate suggests that the main forms of pulmonary rehabilitation after stroke include exercise training, respiratory muscle training, oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, nutrition support, social psychological support, and health education.

Chest Physiotherapy for Muscular Dystrophy

Among patients with muscular dystrophy, the breathing muscles weaken, causing shallow breathing and a less effective cough mechanism which can lead to chest infections.  All individuals with DMD will present with restrictive lung disease. Respiratory therapy using Clearance techniques and non-invasive ventilation helps.

Medical Studies conclude that respiratory muscle strength is enhanced by training in the patients with muscular dystrophy who are ambulatory, but inspiratory and/or expiratory training effect is specific to the trained muscles. They clearly recommend including techniques that improve the strength of respiratory muscles in the rehabilitation and management of patients with muscular dystrophy.

Respiratory Muscle Training For Multiple Sclerosis

People with MS may experience limitations in muscular strength and endurance – including the respiratory muscles. Due to respiratory muscle weakness, infections and respiratory complications are common among people with multiple sclerosis. Training of the respiratory muscles helps improve respiratory function and cough efficacy.