Symptoms
- Progressive shortness of breath
- Chronic cough with mucus production
- Wheezing
- Frequent respiratory infections
- Fatigue and reduced exercise tolerance
- Barrel-shaped chest (in advanced cases)
Common causes
- Smoking (primary cause)
- Long-term exposure to air pollutants
- Occupational dust and chemical exposure
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (genetic)
- Recurrent respiratory infections
How physiotherapy helps
Pulmonary rehabilitation includes aerobic and resistance training, breathing retraining (pursed lip breathing, diaphragmatic breathing), airway clearance techniques, energy conservation strategies, and oxygen therapy education.
Exercises your physiotherapist may give you
- Pursed lip breathing
- Diaphragmatic breathing exercises
- Upper limb endurance exercises
- Walking with pacing and breathing coordination
- Stair climbing (graded)
- Seated resistance exercises
Please note: start these exercises only after an assessment, and stop if pain increases. Your physiotherapist will choose the right exercises, number of repetitions and progression for you.
Guide written by the physiotherapists of CAPT – Centre for Advanced Physiotherapy, MVM Educational Trust. For more reading, search MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).