Pulmonary Physiotherapy for COPD Treatment

At Oriole Physiotherapy And Rehabilitation Centre, we help patients cope with the changes that come with COPD, and assist in the improvement of their quality of life. We provide attentive rehabilitative care North York and the Toronto area. For more information, contact us today at 416-221-0772.

Exercise Training

Exercise can benefit the lungs and overall physical condition of a patient. In rehabilitation, a physical activity plan is tailored to meet a patient’s needs. This plan works to increase a patient’s strength and stamina, which is critical for maintaining independence while living with COPD. The current overall physical condition of a patient will determine how strenuous the initial exercise is going to be.

Individuals who can’t handle long sessions of exercise get a plan that incorporates short sessions with rest breaks. To yield beneficial results, exercising must be done at least three times a week.

Breathing Strategies

 

With continued practice, some breathing techniques improve a patient’s ability to get air into the lungs. Therapists teach techniques such as “pursed-lip breathing” and replacing short, shallow breaths with longer, deeper inhalations. Patients are also taught body positioning that helps make breathing easier.

Nutritional Counseling

 

An individual’s weight can affect his/her ability to breathe without difficulty. People who are overweight can experience challenges to breathing because stored waist fat pushes against the diaphragm. Underweight patients lose muscle mass, which weakens the muscles used for breathing. In pulmonary physiotherapy, a healthy eating plan will be recommended to help patients either lose or gain weight depending on their condition.

Education

 

Learning about your condition is the most important step to living a healthy life. For this reason, patients are encouraged to manage their COPD by avoiding habits (such as smoking) that may worsen the condition.

Patients are also educated about medications and how to use inhalers or nebulizers to make breathing easier. They are also taught how to use oxygen therapy if it’s prescribed to them.

Energy Conservation Strategies

 

Energy is crucial to breathing, and people living with COPD need to conserve all the energy they can. Patients are taught to find easier ways to do daily tasks without straining the body. In order to prevent shortness of breath, they are given tips on ways to avoid bending, lifting, or reaching. Stress management skills to promote relaxation are also part of the therapy.

At Oriole Physiotherapy And Rehabilitation Centre, we help patients cope with the changes that come with COPD, and assist in the improvement of their quality of life. We provide attentive rehabilitative care North York and the Toronto area. For more information, contact us today at 416-221-0772.