Physiotherapy For Asthma!

Asthma is a very common respiratory disease and a chronic lung problem, which causes trouble in breathing. It may cause a lot of inconveniences, but everything can be managed. Although the root cause of this disease is not known exactly, exposure to pollutants, genetics and other particles can aggravate it. Asthma can affect the lifespan and quality of your life, but noticing it in advance and proper treatment can help you live a normal life as anyone else does.

The lining of the bronchial tubes gets swollen when a person has an asthma attack. This makes it very difficult for the person to breathe. Most of the times, doctors recommend inhalers, which should be kept handy and used at the time of the attack. But apart from medication and inhalers, there are also other effective treatments available which can help control an attack using a variety of techniques. Physiotherapy is the best treatment to reduce the frequency and severity of the asthma attack.

How does a physiotherapist help?

Physiotherapists use a variety of methods for treating asthma such as breathing techniques, retraining breath and many more. You will have to follow these techniques in combination with the medication prescribed by your doctor. If you feel your asthma is under control, instead of using physiotherapy as a replacement to the prescribed medicines, you can speak with your doctor and get your dose reduced.

Breathing techniques:

There are basically two types of breathing techniques followed by the physiotherapists:

• Breathing retraining
• Buteyko breathing

The breathing retraining technique aims at making the breathing patterns normal. The Buteyko breathing technique aims at hyperinflation. This is also a kind of breathing retraining technique.

Training the Respiratory muscles:

Many people who have asthma, avoid exercise or activities that are physically exerting. This is due to the fear instilled in them of an asthma attack. It is not just the physical activities that cause asthma, there are many other things. So, when you avoid physical activities, then you are gradually losing the body’s ability to breathe. This is going to worsen the condition when you have an attack. But your physiotherapist will help you train the respiratory muscles which will help you with proper breathing and also increase the physical activities. This can be done with respiratory devices at the beginning and then you can go for exercises or other physical activities.

Timing and Rhythm method:

When you are unable to breathe normally during an attack, it is always good to take smaller breaths. Air passage and lungs will relax due to this method of breath retraining. You can also use other routes of breathing such as breathing in with your nose and trying to breathe out with your mouth. It is always good to work along with your physiotherapist and doctor together. Medicine and physiotherapy should go hand in hand.