Chest physiotherapy

What is chest physiotherapy?

Chest physiotherapy is a multidisciplinary therapy and a fundamental part of the clinical management of some patients with respiratory diseases. It is aimed at patients with neurodegenerative or rare diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis, and at patients who have followed prescribed treatments properly but still have symptoms that make day-to-day activities more difficult.

Chest physiotherapy can:

• Reduce symptoms such as shortness of breath or fatigue.
• Optimise functional status.
• Restore the patient’s social and work situation.
• Improve quality of life.
• Reduce healthcare costs.

Respiratory rehabilitation involves general muscle training to encourage aerobic exercise (such as cycling or walking) and strength training focusing on the upper limbs and respiratory muscles. The latter includes breathing control techniques and techniques to improve chest clearance, as well as inspiratory muscle strength training (using positive expiratory pressure devices).

Chest physiotherapy programmes consisting of between six and twelve weeks of training have led to improved tolerance to physical exercise and reduced breathlessness in patients.

OXIGEN salud adapts the training programme to each patient, with personalisation according to their age and the seriousness of their condition. To do so, parameters such as the Borg rating of perceived exertion are measured.