It is an area of physiotherapy that specializes in the prevention, rehabilitation, and compensation of clients with diseases and injuries in the heart and lungs. These conditions may manifest themselves as shortness of breath, persistent cough, increased work of breathing or the reduced ability to exercise.
Common cardiorespiratory conditions include:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Bronchial Asthma
- Bronchiectasis
- Bronchitis
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Heart diseases
- Heart surgery
- Bypass surgery
- Functional change in heart and lungs
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Angina
- Post-acute myocardial infarction (post AMI)
- Post coronary artery bypass graft (post CBP)
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (angioplasty/ stenting)
- Heart failure
- Hypertension
Other than the conditions listed above, the population who will benefit from cardiopulmonary physiotherapy includes people who experience weight issues, frailty as well as those who may be preparing for surgical procedures. Although they may not have existing lung and heart conditions, cardiopulmonary physiotherapy can aid in the prevention of developing serious conditions and allow higher recovery capabilities for such patients.
Cardiopulmonary physiotherapists work with patients in a variety of settings. They treat acute problems like asthma, acute chest infections and trauma; they are involved in the preparation and recovery of patients from major surgery; they also treat a wide range of chronic cardiac and respiratory conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF) and post-myocardial infarction (MI). They work with all ages from premature babies to older adults at the end of their life.
Physiotherapists are pioneering new management techniques for non-organic respiratory problems like hyperventilation and other stress-related disorders as well as leading the development of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and non-invasive ventilation. Cardiopulmonary physiotherapists use physical modalities to treat people. This may involve using manual techniques to clear infected mucus from a person's chest, or using noninvasive ventilation to help a person breathe, or prescribing exercises to improve a patient's functional exercise capacity.
Interventions to Attain Enhanced Recovery and Optimal Cardiopulmonary FitnessEssentially, cardiopulmonary physiotherapy are interventions to rebuild and optimize the functions of our heart and lungs. Patients who suffer from symptoms of heart and lung diseases don’t have to live with the limitations or restrictions of activity due to breathlessness and fatigue, let’s dig into this!
While the core of the CP rehab is exercise training, a variety of techniques such as stress management,education on risk factors and lifestyle( e.g. smoking cessation and diet), psychosocial support are also part of a comprehensive CP rehabilitation.. Most of these recommendations require individually tailored plans targeted at the patients’ unique circumstances and personal capacities.
Some common examples include:- Different kinds of breathing techniques to improve breathing patterns and increase lung capacity
- Chest physiotherapy – percussion and vibrations to induce secretions removal and prevent secretion retention in lungs.
- Manual, clinical massages to enable ease of breathing without the inhibition of pain.
- Endurance exercises and training that build overall wellness levels and cardiopulmonary fitness.
Generally, after a comprehensive and in-detailed assessment, your physiotherapist will be able to set achievable treatment goals for you. During the active practice of these treatments, your physiotherapist will provide proper education and guidance on how to work towards overcoming the limitations of your activities, offering dedicated support throughout the process from different aspects. Ideally, these efforts will help you attain better cardiopulmonary fitness levels following a consistent CP rehabilitation program. Whether it is to increase chances of recovery, reduce the number of hospital admissions or increase your general functional capacity, cardiopulmonary physiotherapy can help you regain your independence and quality of life .
The positive effects of physiotherapy are aplenty and well documented. According to a review of literature regarding physiotherapy’s impact on asthmatic persons, the main findings concluded that cardiopulmonary physiotherapy improves disease specific quality of life especially for young children with asthma. As cardiopulmonary fitness is strengthened through physiotherapy and the physical training that comes with it, there is a marked reduction in asthmatic symptoms and reliance on medication.
Author: Sushanta Kumar Ghosh, Physiotherapy Specialist, DIU Medical Center
